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Kathy Kelly, Iraq Peace Team, 10 April 2003
Hello Friends,
Early
this morning, Umm Zainab sat quietly in the Al Fanar lobby staring
at the parade of tanks, APCs and Humvees that slowly rolled into
position along Abu Nuwas Street. Tears streamed down her face.
"I am very sad," she told me. "Never I thought this would happen
to my country. Now, I think, my sadness will never go away."
Wanting to give Umm Zainab some quiet time, I took her two toddlers,
Zainab and Miladh, outside to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air.
Several soldiers stood guard not far from me and the children.
I wanted to bring the children over to them, to let them behold
these tiny beauties. But, no, too much of a risk - what if it
would add to Umm Zaineb's pain?
Eun Ha Yoo, our Korean Peace Team friend, unrolled a huge artwork
created by a Korean artist, Chae Pyong Doh, and sweetly laid it
out in the intersection just outside the Al Fanar. As I write,
Neville Watson and Cathy Breen are taking their turns sitting
in the middle of it.
A map of the world covers the top third; grieving victims of war
fill the middle third; piles of ugly weapons with various flags
scattered over them bulge out of the bottom third. Neville has
set up his prayer stool and a small wooden cross where he sits.
Cathy is wearing her "War Is Not The Answer" t-shirt.
At least a dozen soldiers have stopped to talk with us since we
began the vigil at 3 this afternoon. "OK, can you tell us your
side of the story?" asked one young man. "Can I sit there with
you for awhile?" asked another. Each of them has assured us that
they didn't want to kill anyone. One young man said he was desperate
for financial aid to care for his wife and child while struggling
to complete college studies and work full time. He felt he could
gain some respect in this world and also help his family by joining
the Marines. He's relieved that he was stationed at the rear of
a line coming up from the south. His role was to guard prisoners.
He didn't shoot anyone. But he saw US soldiers shoot at a civilian
car with three passengers as it approached. The child in the car
survived - both of his parents were immediately killed. "They
could have shot the tires," said the soldier. "Some just want
to kill."
One soldier offered earnest concern for us, saying "You're sitting
in a dangerous place." We smiled. "Thanks," I said, "But we've
been in a dangerous place for the past three weeks." He was puzzled.
"What do they mean," said a soldier standing next to him, "is
that they've been here all through three weeks of bombing."
"Do you try to put yourselves in our shoes?" asked one soldier
after he'd respectfully listened to me explain major contradictions
between US rhetoric and practice regarding Iraq. "Well, yes,"
I said, "We try. We're taking the same risk as you by being here,
and perhaps an even greater risk since we're unarmed and unprotected.
Actually, just now we're lucky not to be burdened by all that
heavy gear."
"Yeah," said the soldier, "It's really hot. I don't have much
of an appetite. I just give away most of my rations - give 'em
to these people."
Hassan, one of the shoeshine boys, came over to join us, carrying
a ration packet. He opened it, came across processed apple spread,
and a few other curious items, then decided to donate it to us.
Now the flies have discovered it.
It looks like we're on "lock-down" for a while longer. Iraqi minders
are gone, US soldiers are here. They're uncoiling barbed wire
at the intersection. Anyone wanting to walk across the street
is stopped, questioned and searched. Since I began this letter,
there have been four huge explosions nearby. Looting and burning
continue, here in Baghdad. I'm sick of war - disgusted to the
point of nausea. I think all of us at this intersection, residents
of the Al Fanar, journalists in the Palestine Hotel next door,
and soldiers on patrol, share the same queasy ill feeling. The
line, "War is the health of the state" makes no sense whatsoever
here.
With love, Kathy Kelly
Kathy Kelly, Iraq Peace Team, 25 March 2003
"General Tommy Franks described the bombing as a mosaic and we
can understand that. We simply don't know the time of day when
bombs are suddenly going to burst overhead. It continues to be
horrifying when you think about what's happening to families,
particularly now as members of the Iraq Peace Team have started
to go to the hospitals and to the sites where family people have
been harmed.
We were utterly appalled when we heard that the Bush Administration
is saying the war is a success because there have only been hundreds
of casualties in spite of ... thousands of cruise missiles and
bombs. "But we now know of some of these so-called success stories
and it can make you wonder what kind of perversity can be possessing
the oval office and the defense planners.
Some of our team members today, with Dr. April Hurley, encountered
a family that was just rushing into a hospital after a bomb hit
the picnic lunch they were having in front of their home. At least
one child was killed, two others are in uncertain condition. "And
at both of the hospitals we visited today, doctors are working
around the clock really trying their best to heal people and -
if they have minimal injuries - send them on their way so that
they can make beds available for the many, many more casualties
they expect to come.
Particularly as there are reports of more massive bombings and
a possible siege of Baghdad. "Meanwhile of course, we are very,
very concerned for people of Basra on their third day without
electricity and water [ed. note: we are hearing water service
has been partially restored in Basra]. They cant survive without
water. "The air raid sirens are wailing.
This has been a frequent daily and nightly event. We are all sleep-deprived.
I continue to marvel at how well people handle themselves - from
the youngest of children to the most seasoned of peace activists
to the people who are new to war zones. And of course these many,
many families that are no strangers
to war."
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