Baghdad Blogger

I just checked out the blog (weblog) site of the "Baghdad Blogger" aka Salam Pax http://dear_raed.blogspot.com/. I decided to find it to get the "real" news of what is going on in Iraq instead of the stuff we get.

I'm concerned about him because he has recently been on BBC and his identity is now known. There are new power groups forming in Iraq that probably would gladly put a bullet through the head of anyone who isn't saying what they want to hear - people like Mullah Sadr, who I still think may have been involved in the assassination of Al Hakim in the bomb that killed hundreds outside a key Mosque. I'd hate to lose him because I trust the info I get from his insight more than the "all is well" misleading crap the Pentagon always tells us.

I have caught a lot of flak from some Americans who misinterpret what I say. When I say that our troops need to be more culturally sensitive that is not being unsupportive. I'm just trying to avoid creating anger by the Iraqi people whose trust and support we need to obtain success. Salam Pax makes the same point in one of his blogs, and I'd say he's pro-American. But we make no friends when we ignore a country's culture. Going into a Muslim home before the women can cover themselves is as offensive to Iraqis as Arnold Schwarzeneggar putting his hand on someone's breast would be in America. Ignore that and you creat problems we don't need.  I don't fault 19-year old troops since they are clueless, but I do fault the Pentagon for not providing that training.

Anyway, I hope to establish a dialogue with the Baghdad Blogger and pass on some of that information in future newsletters I release. My Global American column now reaches some 4,300 newspapers and individuals in the U.S. and worldwide.

Like Salam Pax, I try to cover issues and provide information people don't see everyday.