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Fred's
Diary
-
2004
June
7[Public Meeting - "Democracy US style: Eyewitness from Iraq"]
[PLEASE NOTE: These are my paraphrased notes from the talk, not direct quotes -- Fred]
{Speaker: Donna Mulhearn -- Donna was in Iraq as a human shield at the beginning of the U.S. invasion, came back to Australia, later returned to Iraq for 6 months after raising funds to help Iraqi street kids & orphans. Donna was in Falujah during the recent siege}
Lots to talk about tonight: stories that haven't been told yet - daily life in Iraq - some photos - politics - solutions - an Iraqi citizen, "Rad" (?spelling) will share his views which {are very different to views portrayed in our news media}.
Daily life in Iraq - some of you may have been reading my regular emails "You Know You're In Iraq When ..." - firstly, there's no regular power after a year - very unreliable - on for 4 or 5 hours then off. Cold days & nights ; in winter it's dark. You Know You're In Iraq When you get used to talking in the dark - planning each day around the power cuts - families preparing meals without heat/light.
The Iraqis are losing patience. Power withdrawl is used as a collective punishment - {example from Falujah} - the U.S. doesn't want to repair the power stations - {scrawl in my notes about very cheap repairs} - holding off repairs to give the work to foreign contractors. No water at least once a week. Iraq is not a third-world country - prior to the war the water was well-treated, people could drink tap water. Now they're drinking from rivers - Tigris not in good condition - bad for kids - disease. Again, foreign contracts for water plants.
A summary of daily life in Iraq: people are physically & emotionally exhausted. There is a lack of fuel in the most oil-rich country - queues forming at 3 or 4 am - long queues - {an analogy with Parramatta Road} - people queuing until 11am - {something about taxis} - black market in fuel. Why? Economics - lot to be uncovered - again, something that infuriates people - imagine waiting 8 hours for petrol! There are skirmishes outside petrol stations - the military tanks parked near the petrol stations are intimidating. The soldiers have no manners - they form road blocks when they feel like it. They block off major commercial areas, access to shops. Family livelihoods are destroyed - family businesses that have survived generations - the U.S. says "bad luck" - so many families devastated.
Tanks are placed on highways - {Donna recounts an incident where 4 or 5 cars are banked up, the soldiers biding their time, some by aiming their guns at random - Donna wanted to confront them about it but her taxi driver dissuaded her}
{scrawl in my notes - something about how the random acts of violence add to the oppressive atmosphere?} - you can hear kalashnikovs all night - {Donna now recognizes different guns by their sound} - every night there are BlackHawks hovering - choppers sent just to swoop low to intimidate - the noise is thunderous. There were bombs going off all the time in the 3 or 4 days after Saddam Hussein was captured - still bombs every day - {scrawl in notes - something about fuel bombs}
This is the liberated Iraq? I heard shocking stories - a man who hated Saddam - "he killed my {assorted relatives}" - this same man now wishes Saddam was back. What an indictment on the coalition, that the current situation is so bad that people who hated Saddam so strongly are {nostalgic for life in his regime}.
Adding to this are the human-rights abuses - daily life in Baghdad - {scrawl - something about accessibility of food} - people internally displaced - 15 or 20 refugee camps {?in Baghdad?} - football fields becoming massive slums - unemployment is high unless people work for the Americans, in which case they risk their lives - I felt when I'd left after 6 months that things in Iraq had gone from bad to worse.
The Abu Graib abuse was painful for Iraqis to witness - they knew all along what had happened - if you {made comments/spoke badly} about the Americans then your house could be raided ; if you were taken your family might not see you for who-knew-how-long - the stories of detainee abuse were not believed - it was only when the pictures appeared that the stories received attention - the pictures are only the tip of the iceberg - the news stories about Abu Graib matched those we'd heard {before the pictures came out}, but there were also stories of the abuse of women - {comments about rape in Iraqi culture carrying such shame that women usually commit suicide} - it was hard to get first-hand stories from these women because they'd committed suicide one after another - only found woman one willing to speak; there are no pictures so this issue won't appear on 60 minutes - Iraqis so humiliated by the degradation.
{Donna & friends only got into Falujah past the U.S. blockade by saying they were with the BBC, which was believed despite appearances} - conversation with blockade soldier was incredible - {gist was: thank god, someone to talk to - these towel-heads can only say "hello" in English - competition with a fellow soldier - I've only killed 10 Iraqis to his 12 - have to catch up} - I was accused of caricature when relating this story - I wish! - reported it exactly as I heard it - {missed a bit as my hand cramps up taking notes}
The massacre at Falujah was a turning point - I was one of only five internationals in Falujah - {some names of others} - Alexander Downer labelled my account "questionable" - John Howard said I was "foolish & reckless" to go to Falujah. Luckily I didn't take his advice.
Falujah was a humanitarian disaster - the U.S. closed it off to destroy as much as they could - {something about mercenaries & shady companies like ?Blackwater?} - mercenaries were hired because there weren't enough U.S. soldiers - Iraqi troops didn't approve of killing Iraqis - mercenaries nastier than U.S. troops ; no {scrawl - contraints? rules?} - they would shoot at will - the Iraqi troops didn't approve, the U.S. troops didn't want to participate in the injustice - media reports labelled mercenary casualties as "civilians" - as far as I can recall there were no non-mercinaries killed - {some aid workers were taken hostage} - {aerial? rocket?} bombardment - mercenary snipers on rooftops ; in once case the minaret of a mosque - massive bombardment by air - {?other munitions} - 2 football fields of dead - saw children killed by bullets to the head, an old woman with a bullet to the head, another old woman dead clutching a white flag - this is part of the story that Downer calls questionable, and I wish it was.
Ambulances were shot at - the Pentagon denies this - I have a photo of the bullet holes, but maybe cynics will say the Iraqis shot at it - I visited the sheik of Falujah, asked him if he had a message for George Bush - it was "Please tell the truth" - the Iraqis feel the truth is not being told.
{Falujah under fire} - pretty noisy ceasefire when there are bombs going off all night - {Donna & co were distributing medical aid when} U.S. troops invaded & closed a hospital - {some questions from people in the group; description of Iraqi patients being turned out} - the soldiers weren't concerned, they were just following orders to treat the U.S. wounded. {Donna & co move to a clinic where blood was kept in a coke machine and there was no anaesthetic - they were dressed in blue hospital gowns to be recognizable as medical staff - delivering some medical supplies across town - they were in the ambulance when it was shot at - got out, waving passports and shouting to U.S. soldiers that they were foreign nationals, unarmed, delivering medical aid, asking that they be let through - they received no reply, kept walking and were shot at - they asked again, could see that the soldiers could clearly see them, again no reply, again shot at when they started walking} - this story was not accepted by the Australian government.
Falujah was one of the greatest disasters of the entire campaign - when carloads of people were trying to get out through the U.S. cordon they were refusing to let any Iraqis out, turning back families - we eventually convinced them to let women and children through, which {was somewhat pointless since generally women in Iraq can't drive vehicles} - we asked the soldiers why they wouldn't allow the men through - reply was {"we want them all there, to finish them off all at once"} - just following orders - we said we were not leaving until they'd allowed safe passage for the old men & boys - looking back into the faces of teenage boys refused passage - {remarks like "they shot my uncle - we buried him the back yard", "I just want to live"}.
The siege of Falujah was a brutal onslaught - mass exodus through farmland - one man in Bagdhad crammed 8 displaced families into his house - the Red Crescent set up refugee camps - tents.
One family's story: no shoes for {some family member} ; can't treat my son's injuries ; we hated Saddam Hussein ; for a while we had hope when he was deposed ; {man telling story laughed} - campaign was not about Saddam since the West had empowered him in the first place ; {described how hard life was after initial invasion} but we had hope ; now our house is ruined, our farmland destroyed - would rather go back to life under Saddam.
Such stories shame the Coalition, including Australia - Iraqis have such uncertainty about their future - that was the story from one tent - there were 500 other tents, story after story - {Abu Graib / Siege of Falujah - bad attitude of soldiers} - invasion of Iraq was a complete disaster.
I was in Bagdhad during the "shock & awe" campaign - visited hospitals - when I came back 6 months later things were so much worse - the little things that could have done so much to improve day-to-day life were not done - only military objectives pursued - ignoring the people and their needs, just securing the country.
Now we're coming up to this meaningless handover - 25 hand-picked puppets who have lived mostly in foreign countries and are unknown to the Iraqi people unless known through their notoriety like Chalabi, who is wanted for fraud in Jordan and was so instrumental in convincing the U.S. to invade - the government which is due to take over after 30th June is held in no respect - an Iraqi doctor overheard journalists in a cafe talking about the new government and interrupted them, explaining that he didn't remember voting - such an insult to Iraqis when no elections or other democratic processes involved. The U.S. says they will allow their troops to be removed by the new government - for God's sake these people are being paid by the U.S.
All hope has been just destroyed - when tanks move down the street bored soldiers swivel in the turrets idly aiming at people - it's just not necessary - the "Green Zone", one of Saddam's old palaces where the Coalition has set up its headquarters ; not a good symbol for the Iraqis ; Paul Bremer is nicknamed "The White Saddam" - the coalition has closed down local newspapers, expelled Arab journalists - {scrawl in my notes about new democracies / comparison / soldiers in night} - the soldiers live in the palace - life in the compound is so removed from daily life - the people who write policies and reports never leave the compounds - inside the Green Zone there is 24 hour electricity and a 24 hour restaurant - I felt so much shame when invited to an Australia Day ceremony by the Australian ambassador - people were drinking Hunter Valley white wine - there were foreign contractors and journalists, but no Iraqis - I don't know if I should tell this, but one of the diplomatic staff, someone who reports to Alexander Downer, came up to me and asked "Donna, what's it like out there?" - staff are under severe restrictions when travelling outside the Green Zone, needing a tank and 10 armed soldiers as company - I asked for money for {a project Donna was doing for Iraqi children} - the staff member agreed to take a "reccy" {reconnaissance} trip see things - they turned up in a tank which simply terrified the children and made me wish I'd never asked for assistance - have offered to share stories like this with {?Downer & co} but they're not interested - if they don't want to do it privately then I'll go public - {questions from people in group re media ; comments about possible SBS "Dateline" appearance etc}
[Slide show begins] Just to put these first few in context {Donna was a human shield during the initial invasion, came back to Australia, wanted to go back to Iraq, a friend had an idea to help homeless street kids, set up "OurHome Iraq", raised some funds to set up a shelter} - many of the homeless kids were drug-addicted {usually solvents} & violent, sad to see them living in burnt-out buildings, ages 7-19yo.
[Slide] [Question from group: are the homeless kids all boys?] Yes, the Iraqis have taken in all the girls in central Baghdad to orphanages - the boys left are the hard-core cases, rejected by the orphanages because of their behaviour - we set up the shelter in the inner city ; the orphanages would relocate children out of the city and some of the kids didn't want to leave the area they knew - in the shelter the kids didn't have to fight for food or clothes.
[Slide - two boys playing with Lego] Ahmed is 11, Hassain is 9. I smiled when I saw them playing because the first time I saw Ahmed he was playing with pieces of razor wire
[Slide - Ali at school] when shown care/love/friendship these kids flourished - like a miracle, such a transformation
[Slide] Most of the children are suffering post-traumatic stress disorder - 60% of the population are under 16 - *I* suffered PTSD and I'm a fairly well-adjusted adult - imagine what it does to the kids - {remarks about psychologists & play therapy}
[Slide - kids playing with synthesizers/karaoke] {Child psychs on hand}
[Slide - street scene] Razor wire is everywhere - around any hotel with foreigners - rubbish not collected
[Slide - building] [Slide - bloody sheet over a body in the street] I was going out to get some milk but decided to delay & have a shower - 10 minutes later a bomb went off - the body in the slide belonged to a man whose head was blown off - he was just buying cigarettes - spoke to U.S. soldiers nearby afterwards asking them why they had come to Iraq, why they were there ; answers were {I wanted a job / the training / I like excitement like this}
[Slide - coffin being carried to a mosque]
[Slide - U.S. soldiers ] The Iraqis consider the bombs to be the fault of the U.S., even if Iraqis are killed - they see the presence of the soldiers as a provocation to the bombers - before the war there were no suicide bombers - the U.S. are blamed for the open borders which allow the bombers in.
[Slide - a "My Falafel" shop] windows destroyed {?by U.S. action?} - no acknowledgement
[Slide - rather smug looking soldier] Soldiers would drive around with rock music blaring
[Slide - tank] Tank outside our home the day after {Donna attempted to talk to some soldiers} - the tank was sent just to intimidate - we offered food/drink to the soldiers in the tank - offered info on how to desert from the army ; most of these young soldiers are kids who had no idea what they were getting into ; most just laughed at the offer.
[Slide - refugee camp - raw sewerage on ground]
[Slide - refugee camp - a lean-to] Drains made an improvement to the camp
[Slide - bullet holes in back of ambulance] {Donna's friend was in this ambulance when it was shot at by coalition forces}
[Slide - woman shot in head] Abdominal & head wounds were the most common - in Falujah the fighters are usually characterised as terrorists, radical baathists, Saddam loyalists ; they're mostly just people who live there & they successfully repelled the U.S. forces - Donna advocates the immediate withdrawl of the U.S. army {?from Falujah ?from Iraq} - currently Iraqi police & troops are in control of Falujah and the town is at its most peaceful for years - the line is usually spun that Iraq will "decay into a quagmire" if the U.S. troops are withdrawn ; that's bullshit
Donna spoke to Iraqis about these 'divisions' - responses like "Who is a Suni? Who is a Shia?" - "I'm an Iraqi and I'm a Christian" - Muslims & Christians in Iraq like this marry - I wish I could see this kind of unity in Sydney! - these two great traditions - the disunity is a media/U.S. creation, characterising cities by sect, "Suni Falujah", "Shia Najaf"
[Slide - young girl in a mask, posed holding a gun] Story about a 10yo boy who drove a van & brought back the dead & injured {?didn't note the context of the conflict?} - he carried a kalashnikov like a cricket bat
[Slide - foreigners {?including Donna} in hospital gowns in the back of an ambulance]
[Slide - skeletal remains of missle] missile in {?whose?} front yard
[Slide - tent] tent - a new house courtesy of George Bush
{cursing my unreadable notes - something about little aid getting into Iraq from the U.S.}
{Donna described her capture by resistance fighters - they asked her why Australia was involved, said they expected bad behaviour from the U.S. & U.K., but why Australia? It's a big country, why does it follow George Bush? Iraqis very hurt by Australia's involvement ; it wasn't widely known until John Howard advertised a few days before Donna's capture}
[Slide - family in tent] {The family from the earlier story - no shoes etc}
{Question from people in the group re media - answer something to do with maybe being on SBS Dateline, maybe next week}
{Donna introduces Rad}
It's usual in an Arab country to open a meeting with the greeting "As-Salaam-Alaikum" {peace be to you} {many in group reply with the greeting - Rad is surprised and pleased!} My language is not good - {?scrawl - sad about something} - some of what is seen on the news is true, some not - been in Australia for 17 days, met many people, they all think Australia's military involvement in Iraq is a bad idea.
In the last 3 months Iraqis - maybe 80%? - did not know Australia was involved in the war in Iraq until John Howard says the Australian troops are staying. [...] After Spain withdrew their troops, maybe the Australian government wanted to prove it was friends with the U.S.
Nothing between Iraq & Australia happened before - good relationship. I told Donna "Don't go out" {every day for the 3 days after Howard's announcement was receiving heavy converage inside Iraq}
The Iraqi people don't like Saddam Hussein - Saddam gave the U.S. a reason to come. They believe the U.S. helped Saddam with money & arms. {?Something about 1974} - To speak out against Saddam was dangerous ; now it's dangerous all the time ; can't walk the streets ; problems with electricity - tanks opening fire: one day 4 civilian houses were destroyed ; I carried a child who had lost a leg.
The U.S. left the borders open - terrorists come for revenge against the U.S. - the Iraqi people are caught in the middle. It's not just a war with guns, it's a war with minds, these divisions of people into Suni/Shia/Kurdish - the media report "attack on a Suni city" - what?? what divisions? There are many intermarriages, Christian, Kurdish - they can't divide us.
I'm now 32, all my life I've lived in Baghdad - {Things are so bad that many people are now nostalgic for the days of the hated Saddam Hussein} - It's now very dangerous - no power, no security - many people come from outside {?something about Kuwait?} and burn buildings. I hope the people here tonight can make the Australian military leave Iraq - All people in Falujah & Baghdad love Donna {laughter & applause from group} - George Bush didn't send money to make the schools good, but {Donna's work helped around 2000 kids}
{Rad thanks group. Applause}
{Donna again}
I'd like to end on a positive note after {talking about all this misery} - The Iraqis are very smart - {?comments like "let them take the oil and go, we just want a peaceful life"} - the thing most complained about is the lack of security. I believe the only solution is military withdrawl, and having the Iraqis invite the international community in as peacekeepers/sheriffs to keep any remaining respect - the first thing we need to do is get the hell out - I believe in regime change in Australia - will support any party advocating troop withdrawl - it's good for Australia and good for Iraq.
{referring to group gathered} It's good to see participation - {?something about Independent media, Paul McGowan, Sydney Morning Herald} - it's not over {with the handover} on June 30th - not over until the doctor can say he can cast a vote - we are responsible for reconstruction - support Latham re troop withdrawl - make is a public issue, an election issue - in the words of the sheik of Falujah, we need a government that tells the truth - let's be a community that {?arrghh - my hand got too tired!}
[Question: {WMD were overriding factor in going to war - I was afraid of Muslims - they control they oil - many people think that John Howard's reasons for war were valid}]
Donna: {?stuff which I can't reconstuct form my notes - something about John Howard, Donna being offended by some characterisation of Muslims} George Bush is {?gist - a fundamentalist looney} - personally as Christian I follow "Love your enemies, don't kill them" - it's offensive that George Bush brings God into it - the Iraqis don't consider al Quaeda to be Muslims - when I was captured, my captors said "we can't hurt you, we're Muslims" - {Donna was offered tea & cake by her captors}
[Comment from someone re the previous question:] I was raised in a Catholic school - had nothing to do with Muslims until 18 months ago apart from seeing them on the street - I'm a casual teacher - when I worked in a Moslem school I found almost identical words to our prayers, the {?pre-Vatican} prayers - Muslims recognize Abraham as our common ancestor - I recognise my brother's right to his opinion but we should {?arghh - missing notes}
[Comment from wife of earlier speaker] {My husband was not condemning muslims, those were not his views, he was asking what Donna's response to those views were}
[Question: media distortions on Iraqi - if Moqtada al-Sadr wins his fight then Iraq will become an Islamic fundamentalist state]
Donna: The Iraqi resistance is extremely diverse - they believe the war is not ended until the last U.S. soldier leaves - they feel betrayed & humiliated & driven to take up arms. The Iraqis generally do not approve of Moqtada al-Sadr - he is seen as a young hothead, and Iraqis generally don't approve of violence - {?something I can't make sense of in my notes} - the Iraqi people are moderate and would like a moderate government
[Question: {congratulates Donna on her presentation} most of us were at anti-war demonstrations - most of us feel we knew better than the government which didn't listen {?missing stuff, hand tired again!} two things will end the occupation: the Iraqi resistance and people in the occupying countries. Re fear of terrorism in Australia - ASIO laws not justified - how do we got about {?combatting this?}]
[Answer from someone in group: can influence people in our churches and mosques - educate - inform]
Donna: {Donna willing to speak at events/groups} {value of letters written to pollies} Some web sites:
[Comment: {announcement about June 15th public forum on refugees}]
[Comment: {re mercenaries employed in Iraq -- many previously employed in South Africa - brutality}]
{Meeting ends}
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