Central Oregon turned out to hear Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman U.S. Marine Corps (Retired), author of From Baghdad With Love .115 people listened as. Kopelman set the scene by asking them to imagine they were living without functioning sewage or electricity. He asked them to envision being afraid to leave their homes. This is the reality in Iraq today. He said we are not fighting a war against Islam or the Iraqi people. Instead Iraq has become a magnet for fanatic radicals from the Middle East, Indonesia, Pakistan, and other areas where terrorism thrives throughout the world. These fanatics spill across the border attacking our soldiers and the Iraqi people; they hate western culture; and will be satisfied with nothing short of a worldwide radical Islamic state. Kopelman says these fanatics have no more in common with true Islam than a religious fanatic sect would have in common with true Christianity. In Islam a Jihad does not involve bombing markets or flying planes into buildings, there is no honor in killing the innocent. On top of the crazed fanatics, Iraq is torn by strife between Sunni and Shia; civil war is upon them. Today the average Iraqi struggles to get by in a land without basic services or security, invaded by radical fanatics willing to blow them to kingdom whenever they leave their homes. After giving an overview of the present conditions in Iraq, Kopelman gave a heart warming speech about rescuing Lava, a vulnerable stray pup, from Iraq. Lava bristled with a zest for life and a feisty determination to survive from the start. Thankfully for Lava, Jay Kopelman bristles with a zest for life and feisty determination, too! Getting the young pup out of Iraq was not easy. Regulations do not allow our troops to keep dogs, other than highly trained military working dogs. Lava had to be hidden then spirited out of the country. For a while he was hidden right under the General's nose! Getting a dog to the Baghdad airport is a bit more challenging than driving one to a US airport. Lava zig-zagged across Iraq in a heart stopping adventure. Many times Kopelman thought he had seen the pup for the last time. Thankfully, he eventually succeeded in getting Lava to sunny California. Lava re-paid Kopelman's rescue once he made it home by introducing him to his wife, Pam. Not every dog is able to find for his human a beautiful, intelligent wife. Perhaps this is a skill held by Iraqi dogs? . Hands rose once Kopelman opened the floor for questions. Asked about the current state of Iraq and the US military, Kopelman said we have not learned the lesson of Viet Nam, inasmuch as we did not know enough about the people of Iraq before starting the war. Most Americans have no clear understanding of the difference between Sunni and Shia. There is no easy solution, it is not likely we are going to make great progress until we are more informed. Someone asked Kopelman what he would suggest reading. He recommended 3 books: 1) Shia Revival by Vali Nasr 2) Fiasco by Thomas Ricks 3) The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright. Asked what he would have done, Kopelman said he would have stayed in Afghanistan, concentrating on thoroughly routing the Al Qaeda, capturing Osama Bin Laden and making the country secure. Going into Iraq has made it a target for radical fanatic terrorists.

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From Baghdad, with Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava (Hardcover)

By Jay Kopelman, Melinda Roth

$22.95

ISBN-13: 9781592289806
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Lyons Press, 10/2006

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