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Ar RutbaAr Rutba (also known as Rutba, Rutbah, or Ar Rutbah) is a small Iraqi town in western Al Anbar province. The population is approximately 25,000. It occupies a strategic located on Amman-Baghdad road, and Mosul-Haifa pipeline. Considered a "wet spot" it recieves 114.3 mm (4.5 inches) of rain annualy, and is located on a high plateau. History During British administration Rutbah Wells, as it was then known, was a stopover for Imperial Airlines on flights from Britain to India and the Gulf Region http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200102/flying.the.furrow.htm. It was also a water stop on the overland drive from Baghdad to Damascus, travellers who stopped over lodged in a fort http://www.museenkoeln.de/ausstellungen/rjm_0207_helfritz/fotopage/470.htm http://www.flyandrive.com/empire.htm. Due to Rutbah's strategic location the town has played a role in later conflicts between the United States and Iraq. During the Persian Gulf War of 1990-1991 it was reportedly a Scud launching location. In 2003, the 40-bed hospital in Ar Rutbah was destroyed by Coalition bombing. In January 2005 a Marine Super Stallion helicopter crashed outside of town, killing 30 United States Marines, and one Navy corpsmen. Camp Korean Village, a Marine base, is located nearby. The base is located on the site of village used to house Korean construction workers working on the Amman - Baghdad highway. External Links Aerial Photo of Ar Rutba from GlobalSecurity.org Town Information from GlobalSecurity.org
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