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Forwarded message from Iraq Peace Team ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> March 27, 2003 Hello to Everyone from Baghdad 160 K is a familiar rest stop on the road from Syria to Baghdad. Near an intersection there is a fueling station and a small market for supplies and food. According to 5 passengers, three busloads of civilians were headed to Baghdad on 3/26 and approaching the intersection at 5:30PM. Passengers noticed an Apache helicopter trailing them at a distance. Possibly intended to take out a bridge ahead, a missile exploded directly in front of the first bus. The bus stopped immediately and passengers jumped out to escape. Those were the lucky ones. The Bus was then hit directly and 16-17 passengers were killed. The second bus was rearended by the third and impacted the wreckage of the first bus. The injured waited several hours for buses called to transfer them to Baghdad. As they were leaving the scene on the rescue buses, passengers watched as more missiles demolished the disabled buses left behind. Five passengers were interviewed that evening at the Al Kindi Hospital in Baghdad. Their stories were similar though several didn't see the helicopter and thought that they were being bombed. Mohammed Adnan Al sa'di is a 28 year old Syrian, a barber, married with two young children. He was in the first bus and suffered head trauma with loss of consciousness for nearly an hour. Above his torn right ear, he had a gaping head wound with wide bruising. Zaid Aga Al Kala' was also in the first bus where he was observing the helicopter's proximity. When the third missile struck, he lost consciousness for 24 hours. He has difficulty seeing with his left eye and may have permanent impairment. There was persisting conjunctival hemorrhage and suspected mild glaucoma as well. He sustained fractures and tendon lacerations of his right hand, a large laceration to the right side of his head. Zaid, who is a 30 year old Syrian, supplies construction sites in Demascus. He asks,"Do you think Jesus would agree with what Bush is doing? Oil is not human; human is not oil! Even animals are more kind than people!" He says that he "knows the American people are good but the rulers are against the good that the people stand for." He estimates that 35 people, all civilians, were on the struck bus. He saw Muslims, Christians, and Red Crescent workers around him. Nor Adin Muhammed El-Mahbeubi, 34 years old, was in the second bus when the missile hit the first bus and he saw body parts thrown everywhere. He suffered cuts and bruises to his right lower leg only but he was clearly emotionally shaken. He asks,"American people were responsible for defending democracy around the world; what happened to change that?" Abdul Malik Hassan Totanchy, a 45 year old government retiree from Halab, Syria with ten children, sustained impact and dislocation of his left shoulder and blunt trauma to the left side of his chest when the missile hit his bus. Hussam Mohammed Al-Nuhaby is a 24 year old dayworker from Demascus, Syria who was thrown against the seat in front of his in the second bus. He injured his left shoulder and chest as well. These men were shooting questions at me about why Americans are allowing this war, what is the reason so much force is being used against an impoverished, virtually defenseless population. The Iraq people have endured catastrophic sanctions and a devastated economy for twelve years. Adult rates of cancer and premature cancers in children have escalated along with terrible birth defects from our radioactive weapon waste from the last war. These men support the Iraq resistance to the invasion; they cannot understand why the United Nations has deserted Iraq. I appreciate their questions and ask the same and more of you: Why is a Coalition Apache helicopter trailing and attacking civilians traveling on a bus, clearly identifiable as civilians when they left the bus. Why did the helicopter not stop and rescue the injured after the assault, if it was a mistake? Why were the buses incinerated after the passengers were transferred? What has become of our fighting men and women? Do they not know that targeting civilians are war crimes? "Following orders" does not excuse war crimes. What were their orders? What do they know? Today, we learned that an Australian fighter pilot refused to bomb a civilian target in Iraq. Are our soldiers so informed and heroic? Love and Peace under bombing in Baghdad, April Hurley, MD Doug Johnson, photographer Iraq Peace Team _______________________________________________ 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