Combat· Iraq War (Op IRAQI FREEDOM)
Operation River Gate
Operation River Gate was a Marine operation in the western Euphrates valley, targeting the insurgent strongholds in the river towns of Anbar, including Haditha and its neighbors, during the autumn 2005 campaign against al-Qaeda in Iraq.
The Marines moved into the contested towns to clear the insurgents and establish a presence in an area the enemy had dominated, part of the broader effort to extend control along the river line and disrupt the networks operating there. River Gate was among the operations that marked the shift toward a more sustained approach, clearing the towns with the intent of holding them rather than withdrawing, in keeping with the evolving counterinsurgency strategy. The operation contributed to the campaign that, alongside the decisive clearing of the Al Qaim district, worked to wrest the western Euphrates valley from the insurgency. It formed part of the turning effort in Anbar in late 2005.
Record no. 771