Ghost Troop Newsletter, Volume 1, Issue 15, 11 October 2003

Hello from Baghdad. This week we were supposed to be at gunnery and I was not going to put out a newsletter. But things took a turn around here and gunnery got postponed. This newsletter will not be the standard format, rather it is to be an open account of what has been going on over here the past few days. I feel it is right to keep the families informed even when unpleasant things happen.

Policy statement: this is not a bunch of gossip, but truth, as I know it today. If you want to quote someone or blame someone, it is I. Also, the names of PCS and ETS soldiers will not be mentioned except in special circumstances in order to protect people’s privacy.

Before I can continue, I need to give you some background about the Sadr Bureau – who they really are and what they think like. Sadr was an Imam that was killed by Saddam because he opposed him in this section of Baghdad that was once known as Revolution City, and then was named Saddam City by Saddam Hussein. His son Muqtada Sadr is the guy in An Najaf that has been having his rivals killed and would like to establish a fundamental Islamic state. He is comparatively young for an Imam, and many mainstream Muslims do not support him, his support comes from young and radical Muslim extremists. But he continues to try and do whatever he can to discredit the coalition by doing things like saying we kidnapped him and then getting his followers to mass on the American Camps. But the people loved his father Sadr and they have been trying to get the name of this part of the city changed to Sadr City in his honor.

The Sadr Bureau is a group of Imams and Sheiks that are religious fanatics that would like to form a separate city from Baghdad from the are formally known as Saddam City.

Click on link below and than scoll down to the bottom of the page. Select page 2 to read the rest of this article.

I do a lot of light weight hiking and used his personal web page page for advice. He was sent to Baghdad about 1 year ago and has been using his personal web page as a way for keeping his troops families updated. It’s a front lines perspective. Not sure of his political leanings, but a great soldier with a lot of insight!

Ping!

Linda, I haven't read the link yet, but I thought you might want to check this out...

HJ

2 posted on 12/01/2003 9:35:06 AM PST by HiJinx (Go with Courage, go with Honor, go in God's Grace. Come home when the job's done. We'll be here.)

Wow..I noticed this was an October post.I wish he would update.God bless our armed forces.I am sure AP and Reuters reported the Iraqi deaths as civilians run over by careless troops.

3 posted on 12/01/2003 9:36:15 AM PST by MEG33 (Beware the enemy within.)

He will. You can scroll and see his comments all the way to the beginning of the war. I check every couple of weeks for updates. It's great because it's straight from the soldiers mouth.

That's the best kind of news..from a soldier.Be sure and post his next letter.

5 posted on 12/01/2003 9:43:52 AM PST by MEG33 (Beware the enemy within.)

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