Hello from Baghdad,
Yesterday, after severe, dust-saturated winds, there was an eerie yellow pall
over the city of Baghdad with white lights shining as blue through the amber
air filter. In some directions the sky appeared blood red. Traveling around the
city was otherworldly, with explosions of bombing interrupting your thoughts
and conversation, reminding you that you are in an alien world, a world where
planned urban targets will predictably cause human suffering, civilian
casualties that the world is tolerating right now. You feel the void of NGOs
here in Baghdad, the desertion of all of the United Nations staff at this
critical time.
But the Shelsh farm was 35 Kilometers south of Baghdad, thought to be a safe
distance from bombing, a group of homes among fields with livestock, no
military targets or strategic areas nearby. On March 25, at 6 PM, a cylinder
dropped into farm property from planes flying overhead. Cattle sauntered over
to the odd salt lick and children approached, curious. Suddenly, there was a
tremendous explosion that smashed through everything, destroying 6 homes and
leaving many dead, more than twenty injured. The Shelsh Family buried two of
their children yesterday, Ahmed Esan and Daha Esan Shelsh, seven and ten years
old. Mustafah Esan Shelsh, age 14, is recovering from brain surgery yesterday
to remove shrapnel after he was stabilized.
Other families at the hospital describe cylinders falling inside or outside
their home with delayed explosions, four small children younger than 5 years
named in one household alone; parents don't know how nearby families fared,
what hospitals those injured were taken to. Neighbors are always involved in
extracting residents from rubble, finding cars to get people to medical care.
Exact figures on casualties are becoming more difficult to come by due to the
increasing numbers of victims, the bombing occurring more frequently in dense
communities or distant farms, and various hospitals treating the same family or
victims from the same site. Muslims bury their dead the following day and no
records have been sought officially.
Last evening, we finally found equipment to register radioactivity at the
bombing sites and on missile fragments retrieved from the ruins. Medical
authorities are attempting to get word out warning residents about depleted
uranium in metallic weapon debris and the horrible innocent initial appearance
of cluster bomb cylinders, so enticing to children continually wondering about
all the mysteries surrounding this war.
President Bush requested another massive "down payment" from Congress
to fund his plan for perpetual war. Apparently, the U.S. and friends call the
shots on their own now, deciding which regimes are undesirable, in what
sequence we will bomb them into change, whom we will put in charge after
civilian carnage and infrastructure destruction.
Many Americans are consulting websites explaining options for tax resistance to
this war. How do you feel about your financial support of this foreign policy?
How can your conscience allow you to pay your taxes this year? Can you make
some financial statement against this relentless crime against humanity? Please
e-mail info@vitw.org or check our website, Voices in the Wilderness:
www.vitw.org.
Bombing and explosions continue to rock buildings today. I'm leaving again for
AlKindi and AlYermouk Hospitals. Please distribute this info widely
love and peace during war,
April Hurley,, M.D.
Iraq Peace Team
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