Iraq War Dictionary

By Zahkan al-Akhbar

"Shock and Awe": Title of Iraqi resistance strategy, intended to "shock" invading American and British troops and "awe" them with their unexpected ferocity

Operation Iraqi Liberation: alternative name of US military action, but dropped from consideration because of obvious implication of acronym (OIL)

"Imbedded with": term used to describe primarily Western reporters traveling with American and British troops; can be used interchangeably with "in bed with"

Decapitation strike: term used to describe how Iraqi civilians are being liberated (refer to these very graphic pictures as examples)

Born Again Ba'ath Fundamentalist: term describing Saddam Hussein's recent turn to religious rhetoric

Umm Qasr and Al-Nassiriyah: Iraqi Sister Cities of Jenin Refugee Camp

Friendly Fire: term used to describe strategy employed by coalition troops to liberate Iraqis

NPR: National Pentagon Radio

Patriot Missile: New weapon to be used by Attorney General John Aschroft to enforce Patriot Act against dissenting Americans

WMD: weapons of mass distraction; can be used interchangeably with "US media"

Precision Guided Weapons: used to describe Pentagon's informal term for "imbedded journalists"

Enemy Combatants: Term used by Iraqi Information Minister Al-Sahaf to describe American POWs in attempt to justify their treatment by comparing them to Johnny Walker Lindh and Guantanamo Bay Prisoners, thereby relieving Iraq of need to abide by Geneva Convention

Dud: informal nickname of CNN anchor Paula Zahn; synonym--empty shell

Al-Fallah (translation-"the peasant"): crude Iraqi anti-aircraft weapon-used to down Apache helicopters; not to be confused with Al-Samud missiles; Al-Fallah was not declared to UN Weapons Inspector Hans Blix by Iraqi leadership)

MIA: new acronym for the Arab Leaque

"Between Iraq and a Hard Place": Term used to describe current position of Coalition troops in the Middle East

CNN: Controlled News Network

Sandstorm: obstacle in US forces' attempt to defeat "sand niggers" in Iraq; alternatively, according to Pentagon, "heinous act of terrorism by God"

Air Jordan: Pentagon's term for available airspace corridors provided by this kingdom

Food for Oil Program: What American troops are offering starving residents of Basra and southern Iraq: "We'll give you food if you give us your oil"

Drone: Pentagon code word for CNN anchors Aaron Brown and Wolf Blitzer

Fratricide: military term used for soldiers killing other soldiers; also applicable to official Arab stance on the war on Iraq

AWOL: another acronym for the Arab League (Arabs WithOut Leadership)

Fictitious: (1) Michael Moore's description of US presidency; (2) In the Middle East, term used to describe "Arab unity"

MRE: (1) formally, military term used to describe soldiers' rations (Meals Ready-to-Eat); (2) informally, military term used to describe coalition enemies (Muslims Ready for Extermination)

Targets of Opportunity: White House term for US taxpayers, expected to fund massive war effort