Triangle of Death (Iraq)

The Triangle of Death is a name given during the 2003–2010 occupation of Iraq by the U.S. and allied forces to a region south of Baghdad which saw major combat activity and sectarian violence from early 2003 into the fall of 2007.

The "Triangle of Death" (not to be confused with the much larger Sunni Triangle further north) lies between Baghdad and Al Hillah, is inhabited by one million mostly Sunni civilians, and contains several large towns in the Mahmudiya District including Yusufiyah, Mahmoudiyah, Iskandariyah, Latifiyah and Jurf Al Sakhar and hundreds of rural villages. The major terrain feature of the Triangle of Death is the Euphrates River, which borders the Triangle to the southwest. The terrain is mostly farm land, but is sliced by many irrigation ditches. These farms are usually small, being maintained by the families that own the land. The weather is generally consistent with the rest of Iraq, with the exception of increased humidity due to the area's proximity to the Euphrates River and irrigation canals used for farming.

Musayyib is home to the Musayyib Power Plant, a frequent target of insurgent attacks due to its infrastructure importance. The power plant would be capable of supplying between one quarter and one third of Iraq's electricity demands if it were fully operational. As of October 2006, it was at roughly 33% of its maximum potential output. Because of the indirect fire attacks on the facility, and the kidnapping of American soldiers to the area, U.S. forces manned Patrol Base Dragon (previously known as FOB Chosin) on the grounds of the power plant. Attacks diminished due to increased security in 2007 and with an overall increase in the security situation of Babil Province in 2008, the facility was closed as a U.S. base.

Analysts generally attribute this area's high level of violence to the tension from the majority population, the Saddam Hussein era military industrial complex in the area (such as the al-Quds General Company for Mechanical Industries, the al-Musayyib Ammunition Depot, and the Al Qa'qaa Munitions Facility), the current lack of economic alternatives to joining the insurgency, and the near endless supply of munitions stored throughout the area (in part due to the looting of the munitions facilities after the fall of the Hussein Regime).

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