In November, 2004, US Marine Colonel Gareth Brandl justified the U.S. attack on Fallujah saying:

“The marines that I have had wounded over the past five months have been attacked by a faceless enemy. But the enemy has got a face. He’s called Satan. He lives in Fallujah. And we’re going to destroy him.”

While “Satan” was not destroyed by the U.S. military, the city of Fallujah was. Independent journalists and NGOs have reported that over 65% of the homes in Fallujah are destroyed or so badly damaged as to be unlivable. Many children are at risk of malnutrition and water-borne diseases. Many of the inhabitants that left before the seige by the US military in November, 2004, now live in refugee camps.

Author Milan Rai wrote:

Estimates of civilians remaining in Fallujah on 7 Nov. varied from 100,000 (US military, FT, 9 Nov., p. 10) to 60,000 (Sunni group, Independent, 10 Nov., p. 5). Estimates for the number of fighters left in Falluja before the assault varied ‘from 600 to 6,000,’ meaning that the overwhelming majority of people in Fallujah were thought to be non-combatants. It was reported that ‘Anyone still in the city will be regarded as a potential insurgent.’ ( Observer, 7 Nov., p. 18 ) A threat to kill every human being in Fallujah.

Christian Peacemaker Teams took these photos in May, 2005. These are the Faces of Fallujah.

View the photo gallery Face of Fallujah