Lt. Colonel Jay Kopelman has written a harrowing book describing an extended conspiracy in Iraq involving members of Third Battalion, First Marines known as the Lava Dogs, reporters for National Public Radio, an Iraqi of dubious character who “fixes” documents and even unlikely characters like ABC network employees who join together in multiple attempts to smuggle an Iraqi, code-named Lava, out of the country to America. 

Military regulations are flaunted, disguises and unlawful concealment, lies and outright fabrications across the dangerous Red Zone, uncooperative Jordanian border guards and broad complicity among the U.S. Marine Corps make for a compelling conspiracy stretching from the Middle East to the shores of California.

Kopelman exposes his own central role in this tale of international intrigue and even reveals the apparent complicity of his commanding officers.  The explosive revelations in the book have been published by the Lyons Press under the title . . .

From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava.

The mother of blogger extraordinaire, Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit fame, is a retired school librarian and has a blog called, Books for Kids Blog, in which she reviews books for kids and young adults.  While she does not propose Kopelman’s tome for youngsters, it is highly recommended for adults and older teenagers.  Her review begins:

Nothing could be more out of place in a zone of brutal urban warfare than a helpless five-week old puppy, starved, lost, and yet still trusting and hopeful when these filthy, whacked out jarheads have him in their sights. Yet when Lt. Colonel Jay Kopelman encounters this little survivor, something clicks between them.

An additional quote from the review describes Lava’s escape from the war torn area:

By this time Kopelman is back at Camp Pendleton, connected only by his bond to Lava and the many emails flying back and forth between the U.S. and Iraq. But Lava’s story is now making him famous, and with the help of “Sam,” who gets the official papers, his media friends at NPR and ABC, and Ken Licklider from Vohne Liche Kennels, Lava, with the cover identity as a “working bomb dog,” is successfully smuggled from the Red Zone into the Green Zone and by armored vehicle into Baghdad International and is at last on his way to O’Hare Airport in Chicago and eventually to become Jay’s family pet in a quiet San Diego neighborhood.

Books For Kids Blog is an excellent resource and From Baghdad, With Love should be an excellent read. Enjoy.