ABSTRACT
The U.S. military had bypassed the city in its assault on Baghdad, but elements of the 82nd Airborne Division arrived in late April [2003]. Fallujah did not take kindly to occupation and the 82nd did not take kindly to occupation duty. Within a few days, a rally celebrating Saddam Hussein’s birthday led to angry denunciations of the U.S. presence and heated demands for withdrawal. Shooting broke out, leaving at least thirteen Iraqis dead. Two more died the next day in a second round of clashes. Attackers then tossed grenades into a U.S. Army compound.1
