A Battlefield Tourist

A Fork in the Road

Sep 15 at 5:05am by David Tate

Roggio and I knew this day would come… the day we split our forces and headed off in different directions.  Of course it isn’t because he’s tired of hearing me run my gums, or that my feet stink or whatever, but because it’s clearly the best “bang for our buck” in our efforts to cover as much as we can in the time we have left.  So, after taking a ground convoy in from COP Corregidor, Bill headed back to Camp Victory for a video teleconference with President Bush while I stayed at Camp Striker trying to organize my next move.

I know what you’re thinking, “President Bush?!”.  Yep… seems this form of journalism has moved to a new level.  Roggio’s insightful and accurate analysis of this war has earned him a very high honor, which of course, makes me feel honored to be his colleague.  This conference wasn’t just for anyone.  A select group of journalists were invited to attend, with it all being kept under wraps until now.  You can read his dispatch here:  http://longwarjournal.org. 

Beyond that, Bill is hoping to go south along the Iranian border as he continues to investigate the claims of Iranian collusion with the Shia militias.  I myself look forward to what he uncovers.

My mission is to head back down south.  Our last report from there covered the current conditions near the former flashpoint just north of Yusufiyah.  My next dispatch will be coming from the area of operation near Mahmudiyah, which lies directly south of the city of Baghdad.

Also, an update concerning missing soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division from earlier this year:  US forces are currently bulldozing a field that a detainee claims contains the bodies of Byron Fouty and Alex Jimenez, who were captured in May.  It is one of many tips that the US Army has received about the men’s whereabouts.  So far, none of the tips have proven true.  In mid-June, the ID cards and other personal effects belonging to the two soldiers were found at an al Qaida safehouse near Samarra, 90 miles north of where the men were captured.  Al Qaida in Iraq has previously said the two men were killed because the US did not call off the search for the two.  US officials say they are holding out hope that the two soldiers are still alive.