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[ Presenting plain-text part of multi-format email ] In a message dated 09/03/03 16:54:27 GMT Standard Time, Charlie Chimp 1 writes: > Message from two constituents in Baghdad- Paul Flynn. > > Hello > We have been here in Baghdad for over three weeks. We love it here. The > people are so warm, friendly and welcoming - it's hard to believe that we > are in a potential war zone. The people do not think there will be a war - > thosee that do are simply not afraid. It surprised us at first to see how > calm and 'normal' the city was - people just going about their usual daily > lives - we have realised now that they have lived under this threat for > months and with sanctions for years - they are used to it - what else can > they do?We have been on lots of demonstrations - playing music in the > market with the children, hanging banners off the bridges saying 'Bush the > whole world is watching you', marches to the UN building, hanging peace > pillows in trees,etc etc. > We have also visited about 4 hospitals - 2 in Baghdad and 2 in Basra. They > were awful - particularly in Basra where we saw photos of deformed babies > (some born without skulls, limbs or heads and some with their intestines on > the outside of their bodies) and we met children dying of leukaemia - it > was so upsetting. The DU on the desert is blown into towns on windy days. > Indeed, the male doctor we met thinks he himself is contaminated and the > female doctor we met has had 3 terminations due to deformities before > finally having a healthy child - the problem is many women cannot afford to > have the scans during pregnancy. > We also went out to the 'Highway of Death' and saw the tanks lost by the > Iraqis during the Gulf War - we had to be careful and quick because of the > DU present. The sheer desolation of the place reminded us of the futility > of war. > We took a trip to Mosul (north) 2 weeks ago under armed guard - it is a > beautiful place. We went to see an Armenian church where people had sought > refuge in '91 - 4 were killed here. We also visited a stunning monastery up > in the hills and the university. > We have been to see the Red Crescent, Voices in the Wilderness and the > United Nations - here we had a long discussion about the effect of > sanctions and poverty on people here. > Other places we have been include Babylon, Kerbela and the Al-Amirayah > Shelter where 408 people were killed in Feb '91 as a result of American > bombing. > We are currently stationed at a Water Purification Site at 7 Nissan Project > Baghdad - the Red Cross bag up emergency water here - it is good to see all > the Red Cross trucks. > We are always allowed to come and go as we please and to go where we like - > we often stay at other shielded sites - it depends where the last get > together\social took place. > Today and last night we manned the office - you wouldn't believe the amount > of press we have calling. This morning we did work with CNN and a South > African TV Co. We seem to be interviewed daily. > Some of our friends have now left for Amman - many have run out of money , > some have run out of time. Indeed, we feel we should have left by now but > simply do not want to leave. New people turn up daily - the list of nations > represented is huge and too long to begin to list here - we have so many > new friends from so many different countries. > There is so much more to tell and so much more we want to say, but at least > you have an idea of what we have been up to. > Please do all that you can to stop this unjust and unnecessary war. > Tony Blair should spend an hour walking around Bagdad (in disguise) - he > wouldn't allow the place to be bombed once he had met these wonderful > people - we're sure of that. > Tell everyone to get campaigning before it's too late - the feeling here is > that it (the war) could come before Wed this week or 10 days after that or > then 1 April - the speculation, as you can imagine, is endless. > Going back a few weeks - the bus trip here took 3 weeks instead of 2 . It > was vey long and trying. It snowed in Istanbul, but the welcome we recieved > here and throughout Turkey was warm enough to melt the snow . Syria's > reception of us in the buses was even warmer,if that is possible - people > lined roads and streets just to wave us as we drove by. > Anyway, must go - hands are tired from all this typing. See you soon. > Helen and Kevin. > PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE. > > Paul Flynn MP > House of Commons > London > SW1A 0AA > > Tel: 020 7219 3478/ 01633 262348 > > From: CharlieChimp1@aol.com Full-name: Charlie Chimp 1 Date: Sun, 9 Mar 2003 11:54:27 EST Subject: Human Shields To: Tcapj@aol.com X-Plaintext: Presenting plain-text part of multi-format email [ Presenting plain-text part of multi-format email ] Message from two constituents in Baghdad- Paul Flynn. Hello We have been here in Baghdad for over three weeks. We love it here. The people are so warm, friendly and welcoming - it's hard to believe that we are in a potential war zone. The people do not think there will be a war - thosee that do are simply not afraid. It surprised us at first to see how calm and 'normal' the city was - people just going about their usual daily lives - we have realised now that they have lived under this threat for months and with sanctions for years - they are used to it - what else can they do?We have been on lots of demonstrations - playing music in the market with the children, hanging banners off the bridges saying 'Bush the whole world is watching you', marches to the UN building, hanging peace pillows in trees,etc etc. We have also visited about 4 hospitals - 2 in Baghdad and 2 in Basra. They were awful - particularly in Basra where we saw photos of deformed babies (some born without skulls, limbs or heads and some with their intestines on the outside of their bodies) and we met children dying of leukaemia - it was so upsetting. The DU on the desert is blown into towns on windy days. Indeed, the male doctor we met thinks he himself is contaminated and the female doctor we met has had 3 terminations due to deformities before finally having a healthy child - the problem is many women cannot afford to have the scans during pregnancy. We also went out to the 'Highway of Death' and saw the tanks lost by the Iraqis during the Gulf War - we had to be careful and quick because of the DU present. The sheer desolation of the place reminded us of the futility of war. We took a trip to Mosul (north) 2 weeks ago under armed guard - it is a beautiful place. We went to see an Armenian church where people had sought refuge in '91 - 4 were killed here. We also visited a stunning monastery up in the hills and the university. We have been to see the Red Crescent, Voices in the Wilderness and the United Nations - here we had a long discussion about the effect of sanctions and poverty on people here. Other places we have been include Babylon, Kerbela and the Al-Amirayah Shelter where 408 people were killed in Feb '91 as a result of American bombing. We are currently stationed at a Water Purification Site at 7 Nissan Project Baghdad - the Red Cross bag up emergency water here - it is good to see all the Red Cross trucks. We are always allowed to come and go as we please and to go where we like - we often stay at other shielded sites - it depends where the last get together\social took place. Today and last night we manned the office - you wouldn't believe the amount of press we have calling. This morning we did work with CNN and a South African TV Co. We seem to be interviewed daily. Some of our friends have now left for Amman - many have run out of money , some have run out of time. Indeed, we feel we should have left by now but simply do not want to leave. New people turn up daily - the list of nations represented is huge and too long to begin to list here - we have so many new friends from so many different countries. There is so much more to tell and so much more we want to say, but at least you have an idea of what we have been up to. Please do all that you can to stop this unjust and unnecessary war. Tony Blair should spend an hour walking around Bagdad (in disguise) - he wouldn't allow the place to be bombed once he had met these wonderful people - we're sure of that. Tell everyone to get campaigning before it's too late - the feeling here is that it (the war) could come before Wed this week or 10 days after that or then 1 April - the speculation, as you can imagine, is endless. Going back a few weeks - the bus trip here took 3 weeks instead of 2 . It was vey long and trying. It snowed in Istanbul, but the welcome we recieved here and throughout Turkey was warm enough to melt the snow . Syria's reception of us in the buses was even warmer,if that is possible - people lined roads and streets just to wave us as we drove by. Anyway, must go - hands are tired from all this typing. See you soon. Helen and Kevin. PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE. Paul Flynn MP House of Commons London SW1A 0AA Tel: 020 7219 3478/ 01633 262348 _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk