A Chance in Hell: The Men Who Triumphed Over Iraq's Deadliest City and Turned the Tide of War

Colonel Sean MacFarland's brigade was sent to Ramadi, Iraq's deadliest city, with orders to stabilize it without destroying it. By 2006, insurgents controlled much of the city openly, and al-Qaeda had declared it their capital. The U.S. military expected Ramadi would be the last province to be pacified. MacFarland implemented an aggressive strategy, establishing combat outposts in the city's most dangerous neighborhoods. His soldiers engaged in intense street fighting, with snipers targeting al-Qaeda leaders and U.S. tanks firing directly at insurgent-occupied buildings. Casualties mounted on both sides as the conflict reached a stalemate. A turning point came when Sheik Abdul Sattar Bezia al-Rishawi, a tribal leader and former smuggler, approached MacFarland. Despite his reputation, Sheik Sattar opposed al-Qaeda and had observed MacFarland's brigade fighting militants directly. He offered to join forces with the Americans against al-Qaeda. MacFarland accepted the alliance, a decision that would prove pivotal in transforming Ramadi into a model of stability.