Glossary
117 terms, from the manuscript’s own glossary. Every acronym in the book, and what it means.
AARAfter Action Review
AbbasMahmoud Abbas, the President of the State of Palestine and Palestinian National Authority
Abu Dura(Alternate Spelling “Abu Derra”) An Iraqi Shia warlord and Punishment Committee commander of Mehdi Militia whose men have been accused of terrorizing Iraqis. Also, an Iranian-backed terrorist known as the “Shiite Zarqawi” and “The Butcher”
Abu Ghraib prisonA prison complex west of Baghdad (32 km: 20 miles) in Abu Ghraib, an Iraqi city
AdhamiyaA neighborhood and east-central district of the city of Baghdad, Iraq
AIFAnti-Iraqi Forces
Al ArajiHazeem al Araji. A spokesman and a member of the Jaysh al Mehdi led by Muqtada al-Sadr
Al HouzaA seminary where Shia Muslim clerics are trained
Al JazairA colloquial geographic term for an in or near area of Sadr City
Al-AskryThe 11th Imam of Twelver Shia Islam, after his father Ali al-Hadi
Al-BaqirThe fifth Shia Imam, after his father Zayn al-Abidin and succeeded by his son Ja’far al-Sadiq
Al-HadiThe fourth Abbasid Caliph
Al-HasanThe second Shi’ite Imam, after his father Ali and preceding his younger brother Al-Husayn
Al-JuadThe son of Ali Imam Al-Ridha
Al-KathiemThe son of Imam Jafar Al-Sadiq
Al-MahdiThe third Abbasid Caliph who was succeeded his father, al-Mansur
Al-MojtabaOne of the original 12 Imams
Al-MourtadaHusband of the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter, Fatimah Al-Zahra
Al-RidhaA descendant of the Prophet Muhammad and the eighth Shia Imam after his father Musa al-Kadhim and before his son Muhammad al-Jawad
Al-SadiqThe sixth Shia Imam and major figure in the Hanafi and Maliki schools of Sunni jurisprudence
Al-Sajad(Zain Alabdeen), the son of Imam Hussain
Ansar al SunaAlso known as “Jaish Ansar al-Sunna”, an Iraqi Sunni insurgent group that fought against US Troops and their local allies during the Iraq War
AOArea(s) of Operation
Ardennes StreetA street at Fort Bragg, North Carolina where paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division live and do physical training while listening to awesome music.
Army guyWhat idiots say when they can’t think of the word soldier
BaathistAn Arab nationalist ideology that promotes the development and creation of a unified Arab state
Badr Corps / Badr GroupMilitary forces controlled by SCIRI
BDEBrigade. Used to denote the size of a military unit
CavCavalry (abbreviation)
conexA shipping and storage container
DACDistrict Advisory Council
EFPExplosively Formed Penetrators
FadaeenA paramilitary-group known as the “Fedayeen Saddam”, loyal to the then president Saddam Hussein and the Ba’athist government. The name was chosen to imply a connection with the Palestinian Fedayeen.
Fatimah Al-ZahraThe youngest daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad
Firearms Training AssociatesA company of qualified firearms instructors in Southern California from a variety of backgrounds. Started by Bill Murphy
FOBForward Operating Base
Fort BenningThe location of the Army Infantry School
FREFormer Regime Elements: Militants left over from Saddam Hussein’s standing army after the fall of Iraq
GIGovernment Issue: a term to describe military personnel
Glock 9A 9mm handgun made by Glock. (Austrian origin)
GunsiteA tactical shooting school based out of Arizona and started by Col. Jeff Cooper
GWOTGlobal War on Terrorism
HabibiyaA colloquial geographic term for an area in or around Sadr City
HajiA Muslim who has been to Mecca as a pilgrim or a slang term used to identify people from the Middle East (i.e. “Shoot that fucking Haji before he blows us up.”)
HazeemA top aide of Mooki's. His full name is "Sheikh Hazeem al Araji."
HezbollahA Shia Islamist militant group and political party based in Lebanon but who are also in other Muslim countries
Ho Chi MinhA Vietnamese Communist revolutionary leader who was prime minister (1945–55) and president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (1945–69)
HumveeA four-wheel drive military light truck produced by AM General. Also known as a Gun Truck
IEDImprovised Explosive Device
ImamThe person who leads prayers in a mosque. A Guide
Inshah Allah“If Allah wills it.” In a practical way it was oftentimes offered as a response of evasion (i.e. “Go fuck yourself”).
IPIraqi Police
JafarA masculine Arabic given name, especially common among Shia Muslims
Jaysh al-MahdiAn Iraqi armed group linked to Iraq’s Shia community and known as the Mahdi Army, led by Muqtada al Sadr
JOCJoint Operations Center
KarbalaA city in Iraq about 100 km (62 mi) southwest of Baghdad
KBRKellogg, Brown and Root: an American company that employed labor overseas
LNLocal Nation: a person born and living in the host country
LTLieutenant
MahallaA country subdivision or neighborhood in parts of the Arab world
MalikiNouri al-Maliki: an Iraqi politician who was Prime Minister of Iraq from 2006 to 2014
Mehdi MilitiaFrequently mistranslated “Peace Brigades” in US media, an Iraqi armed group linked to Iraq’s Shia community, also known as the Mahdi Army, led by Muqtada al Sadr
MerhediAn area in Sadr City that was known to have a market (The Merhedi Market)
MiTTMilitary Transition Team
Mohamed Sadiq al SadirOften referred to as Muhammad Sadiq al-Sadr who was a prominent Iraqi Shia cleric of the rank of Grand Ayatollah. Killed by Saddam Hussein. Father of rebel cleric Muqtada al Sadr
MookiNickname for Muqtada al Sadr
MuhammadThe central figure of Islam and widely regarded as its founder. “The Prophet”
Muqtada al SadrAn Iraqi Shia cleric, politician and militia leader of the Sadrist Movement and the leader of Saraya al-Salam, the Mahdi Army
MuqtarA community elder
MusaThe name in Arabic, Urdu, Persian and Turkish, of the prophet Moses
NajafA city in central Iraq about 160 km (roughly 100 miles) south of Baghdad
NCONon-Commissioned Officer. The backbone of the military
PeshmergaThe military forces of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan
petechialA condition of a red or purple spot on the skin, caused by a minor bleed from broken capillary blood vessels
PIPrivate Investigator
PKMRussian made belt fed machine gun
PMF/PMUPopular Mobilization Forces / Popular Mobilization Unit is a uniformed military organization in Iraq solely made up of Iranian backed militias originally organized to fight ISIS in Iraq and to make a military force in Iraq that is loyal to Iran.
POG“POG” (Person Other than Grunt): Military slang for non-combat, staff, and other rear-echelon or support units. Alternate spelling: “pogue”
QRFQuick Reactionary Force
Quids ForceA military organization based in Iran that develops Iranian militias in other countries and conducts covert actions against the enemies of Iran in the Middle East.
QuranThe Muslim holy book. The central religious text of Islam, which Muslims believe to be a revelation from God
RPGRocket-Propelled Grenade
RPKRussian made machine gun
RustamiyahA forward operating base for the U.S. Army in Iraq & the site of the oldest military academy in Iraq
SaddamThe fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003 and a leading member of the revolutionary Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party
SamarraA city in Iraq on the east bank of the Tigris in the Saladin Governorate, 125 kilometers (78 mi) north of Baghdad
SASOStability and Support Operations
Sayyid Kareem al BukhatiA member of the Sadr Bureau who I met several times (once at the al Jazair Iraqi Police Station). My nemesis and respected for who was as the liaison for Muqtada al Sadr. We partied together. He’s a horrible dancer.
SCIRIThe Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq
SFCSergeant First Class. The E-7 rank of the U.S. Army. Also, a Platoon Sergeant
SheikhAn Arabic word meaning the elder of a tribe, a revered old man, or an Islamic scholar
ShiaA branch of Islam which believes the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor. In contrast, Sunnis do NOT believe that Muhammad designated a successor
SistaniCommonly known as Grand Ayatollah Sistani. A Shia religious leader originally born in Iran but came to power in Iraq to lead the Shia
SITREPSituation Report
SKS rifleA Soviet semi-automatic carbine chambered for the 7.62×39mm round
SMESubject Matter Expert
SOGSergeant of the Guard
SoleimaniGeneral Qasem Soleimani was an Iranian military leader known to be a mastermind of the Quids Force , the Popular Mobilization Forces and various covert Iranian military operations. Know to also be the leader that proliferated the Iranian strategy against Coalition Forces during the war in Iraq
SSGStaff Sergeant (SSG) is an E-6 rank in the U.S. Army
SummaraA Shia Muslim holy site in the Iraqi city of Sāmarrā 125 km (78 mi) from Baghdad
Sun TzuThe Chinese author of “The Art of War”
SunniA branch of Islam which believes the Islamic prophet Muhammad didn’t designate a successor (caliph). In contrast, Shia’s believe that Muhammad did designate a successor
SureFire InstituteThe institute that teaches in low-light, tactical training. It operates out of California and Las Vegas
SWETSewage, Water, Electricity, and Trash Disposal
taskforceA unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity
TerpSlang for “Interpreter”
TharwaAnother name for Saddam City/Sadr City
THTTactical Human Intelligence Team
Tissa NissanThe 9 Nissan security district, also known as New Baghdad, located in eastern Baghdad
TPTTactical PsyOp Team
TTPTactics, Techniques, and Procedures
UAVUnmanned Aerial Vehicle. Aka, a drone
VBIEDVehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device. Aka, a “car bomb”
WahhabiA religious movement or branch of Sunni Islam
WarfighterAnyone who has volunteered to stand in front of or behind a gun to defend their country
WMDWeapons of Mass Destruction. Found in Iraq but ignored by Western Media and culture
ZarqawiThe al Qaeda militant Islamist who ran a paramilitary training camp in Afghanistan and then moved to Iraq and lead combat operations against the Shia people and Coalition Forces