THE US: Letters praising US efforts in Iraq and extolling their achievements have been appearing in provincial US newspapers over the last few weeks but now appear to be fake.
The letters, signed with different soldiers' names, are word for word identical, and seem part of a propaganda drive to bolster flagging domestic support for the US occupation of Iraq.
In all, about 11 newspapers have carried the letter. In one newspaper the signatory is Sgt Shawn M. Grueser, in another it is a soldier named Jason Marshall. The Boston Sunday Globe carried the letter on September 14th signed by Adam Connell. All the signatories to the letter are from the 2nd battalion of the 503rd infantry regiment serving in Kirkuk.
The sentiments expressed in the letter suggest that US troops are welcome in Iraq and encountering few problems.
"Kirkuk is a hot and dusty city of just over a million people," it says. "The majority of the city has welcomed our presence with open arms. After nearly five months here, the people still come running from their homes, into the 110-degree heat, waving to us as our troops drive by on daily patrols of the city."
The letter goes on to count the achievements of US troops in Kirkuk. It continues: "The quality of life and security for the citizens has been largely restored and we are a large part of why that has happened.
"There is very little trash in the streets, many more people in the markets and shops, and children have returned to school."
Six of the soldiers contacted by the Gannet News Agency said they had agreed to sign the letter although they had not written it. However, one solider who appeared as a signatory, Nick Deaconson of West Virginia, said that he knew nothing of the letter until his father phoned him to congratulate him after the letter appeared in the local paper.
Sgt Shawn Grueser says he spoke to a military public affairs officer believing he was contributing to an army press release. He was not aware his name would appear as the signatory to a letter purporting to be written by him.
According to an army spokesman, the letter was originally written by an anonymous solider whose name the army will not divulge. Who was responsible for posting the letter to the soldiers' hometown newspapers remains a mystery.
At least 13 US troops have committed suicide in Iraq, representing more than 10 per cent of American noncombat deaths there, and the army dispatched a suicide-prevention expert to assess the problem, officials said.
At least 11 US army soldiers have committed suicide during Iraq operations, most with self-inflicted gunshot wounds, and two Marines have committed suicide using firearms. - (Reuters)