"Today in one civilian hospital: 2 dead and 30 injured"
Dr. Geert Van Moorter, April 2, 2003
From this morning until late this afternoon, Dr. Colette Moulaert and me were at the Al-Yarmouk hospital. Some thirty injured were brought to the hospital. Apparently, a bomb had struck in the vicinity. I was at the emergency ward where I saw 2 dead and several injured patients because of shrapnels.
The hospital staff already knows us. While other westerners, mostly journalists, are given a short tour, we can freely accompany the doctors. An orthopedic surgeon called me in his consultation room and asked me advice on some of his patients. We exchanged experiences with pain management. It made a welcome change for the psycho-social support we usually give.
When you get to know the hospital from the inside, you notice the shortages: some pain relievers and antibiotics for example. But at a press conference I heard vice-president Ramadan reiterate that Iraq doesn't need humanitarian assistance. What is needed is the end of the US aggression and the sanctions, and the unfreezing of Iraqi bank accounts. Iraq is too proud to beg for humanitarian aid and understandably so.
But the Iraqi health authorities welcome the assistance of organizations - like Medical Aid for the Third World - that work in the first place for the removal of the root causes of the Iraqi people's suffering, the armed aggression of the US and the UK, and that show their solidarity with the Iraqi people.
Do you want to hear another anecdote about the weapons inspections? Today we also dropped in at the El-Mustansiriya University. It has been under fire for five days although it had been searched thoroughly by the weapons inspectors who proclaimed it free of weapons. And still it was a target for the US! Are you surprised that the people here say the weapons inspections only served to identify targets for the bombings?
"About the horrors of war, 100 km south of Baghdad"
Bert de Belder, April 4 2003
"I have two awful stories to tell", Geert immediately starts when I get him on the line. "Today we drove to Hilla, a small town near Babylon that was heavily bombed yesterday. One poor district was hit by 20 to 25 bombs. The hospital of Hilla received in the next half an hour 150 seriously injured patients. Dr. Mahmoud Al-Mukhtar said that the wounds were caused by clusterbombs. These are bombs that explode into many small bombs that again explode individually and cause enormous damage. Clusterbombs are banned by the International Laws on War, but Bush completely disregards these! In the hospital I have seen very many abrading situations. A family of eleven persons, of whom six are dead. A father who is left with one child; his wife and two sons are dead. Small children with amputated limbs."
"My second story is even more horrible", warns Geert. "About a bus with civilians that was fired upon. Not the one in Najaf, which reached the news everywhere, but a case that according to me has not yet been covered by western media. Three days ago, In Al Sqifal, near Hilla, a passenger bus was fired upon from an American checkpoint, with ghastly results. According to witnesses the bus stopped on time and had, on orders of the American Military, turned back. Dr. Saad El-Fadoui, a 52 years old surgeon who still has studied in Scotland, was immediately on the place of incident from the hospital in Hilla. When he told me what he had seen there, he again became very emotional, three days after it had happened. 'The bodies were all carbonized, terribly mutilated, torn into pieces, he sighs. 'In and around the bus I saw dismembered heads, brains and intestines,..' One wonders what a criminal weapon of mass destruction could have caused these horrors. Nobody had heard the sound of an explosion; on the bodies no traces of shrapnel were found. A journalist spoke of a heat-weapon with liquid copper or something like that.. Can the Americans be really that cruel? Dr. Saad El-Fadoui asked us repeatedly to do everything to help stop this horrible war of aggression.
Geert understands me poorly when I say something, the line is not always clear. "We are momentarily without electricity", he explains. "Large blocks in Baghdad are without electricity, last night the bombardment was very severe. Colette (Geert's college-doctor Dr. Collete Moulaert) saw from her hotel room, just behind the mosque in this neighborhood, two enormous fireballs coming down. I think that these are containerbombs of about 7-8 tons each that cause enormous vibrations. "I am shivering of the cold", Collete said, but this was the vibration caused by the bomb explosion.
"You should not belief everything what CNN and BBC are showing, Geert informs us. "That we were able to travel today up to Hilla (near Babylon, south of Kerbala) with a large group 'human shields', 100 km south-west of Baghdad, proves convincingly that the Iraqi capital is not being completely surrounded and besieged. Along the way we hardly saw Iraqi troop movements. On the 100 km route we didn't pass any Iraqi checkpoint, and hardly saw signs of war. There were groups of scattered houses, trees, even children playing with paper kites .. One time we were told to take a side road because a colon of 20 to 30 Iraqi tanks had to pass. This again disproves the charges that the Iraqi army is using civilians as shield for military operations: our civilian vehicle was first sent safely to another road before the Iraqi army passed. On our way back the Americans and British were bombing the area. For our safety we had to take a new, another road, but this was also nearly hit by a bomb, followed by a thick plume of smoke. This was frightening for awhile, because we were not safely in our hotel, but in the open air.
Baghdad Diary 7 April 3 pm and 7.15 pm
Dr. Geert Van Moorter en Dr. Harrie Dewitte per satellite phone
"First day of four doctors working together 'under the bombs'"
Bert De Belder
The four doctors forming the Medical Team of 'Geneeskunde voor de Derde Wereld' (Medicine for the Third World) in Iraq - Claire Geraets, Harrie Dewitte, Colette Moulaert and Geert Van Moorter - have got well through today's heavy bombing and fighting in Baghdad. From the Sheraton hotel where they are staying they witnessed the battle across the Tigris, in the western part of town. In the afternoon however shops opened again, cars were driving round and life was more or less back to normal. "The Iraqi resistance troops remain visible in our part of town", Geert says, "there are some who are driving around cheering and waving flags of Iraq, just like after a victorious football match. We heard several reactions of hate for the American troops."
But life in town is certainly not getting easier. "The lift in our hotel does not work anymore, and we are on the tenth floor", Geert says. "A friend of ours, from the Iraqi friendship league, panicked: his relatives live near the Mansour hotel where an American cruise missile destroyed four houses. Despite the danger he went over there."
"An 'embedded' journalist, thinking I was a colleague of his, told me something fearful", Geert adds. 'American soldiers shot two Iraqi soldiers that had surrendered!' He saw pictures of this but knows they won't be shown on CNN. The pictures show two Iraqi soldiers with their hands on their heads. As they are lying down, G.I.s step forward and shoot them in cold blood!"
Heavy fighting made it impossible to reach hospitals today. Claire and Colette went exploring the town, while Harrie and Geert took measures to arrange a meeting at the Iraqi ministry of public health for tomorrow. There they want to regulate the handing over of the 80 kilos of medicines and surgical materials brought to Baghdad by Harrie and Claire. They really pulled off a difficult feat. This is clear when you hear that the Belgian VRT-journalist did not make it to Iraq via the same way through Syria today! An important part of the explanation must be the unwavering solidarity with the Iraqi people on the part of Geneeskunde voor de Derde Wereld.
Baghdad diaries, April 9 april, 6:19 p.m.
Dr. Geert Van Moorter through satellite telephone
"We have lost count of the civilian casualties!"
"We won't concede to those damned GIs!"
Bert De Belder
"Today, (Dr.) Harrie (Dewitte) and me witnessed the dastardly acts of those so-called 'liberators.' This morning we went to the Saddam Center for Plastic Surgery in order to hand over the medicines and surgical supplies from Belgium and to check on the British cameraman I treated yesterday. We were not able to leave the hospital anymore for the rest of the day. We were trapped because the hospital was in the line of fire. Moreover, so many patients with serious injuries were brought in that we were busy the whole time. We've seen at least 35 to 40 heavily injured patients arrive and some six dead, all of them civilians. Actually, the Iraqi authorities have lost count of the civilian casualties and so do we."
"The U.S. troops even peppered the hospital's ambulance with bullets! I saw the ambulance arrive, its body dented and windows shattered. It took me a while to realize that this was the same ambulance that had left with three casualties a couple of minutes before. The doors were jammed, the driver was wounded behind the wheel, his assistant in the passenger seat was covered with blood. It was a miracle that the driver had been able to bring his vehicle back to the hospital. The patients were in agony. One of them had taken one more bullet in the chest; I saw the blood gushing from his open chest wound."
"We are sure it were American bullets that had riddled the ambulance. After the incident I wanted to confront the Americans with what they had done. There was no driver anymore for the second ambulance so I went to them with a Reuters team. At about 300 meters from the American tank involved, I went down with a white flag, hands in the air, and shouting: 'I am a medical doctor!' When I was near, I yelled to the GIs: 'Do you realize what you have done? You shot at an ambulance!' It must have been very clear anyway as the vehicle had a big flag with the Red Crescent. An American soldier answered: 'It could have been filled with explosives!' In reality, the vehicle was carrying three patients and two paramedics - all of them heavily wounded now. Intentionally shooting at an ambulance is the umpteenth violation of international humanitarian law by the American aggression force in Iraq."
"The hospital was like hell. We didn't have any oxygen anymore or supplies for intubation. The doctors were sad and many of them were in tears when they saw how the paramedics were shot at in cold blood. After half an hour a bus arrived at the hospital, also riddled with American bullets. Many injured; shouting; pushing and shoving; chaos;.. Some cars followed, some of them with dying patients. Blood was everywhere. A tragedy. So much for the 'liberation' of Baghdad."
Medical Aid for the Third World's Medical Team is safe and sound and stays in the Sheraton Hotel. "The 'liberators' are just passing by here," Geert announces cynically while we are talking on the phone. "Surreptitiously, Colette was able to give one of them a nudge and push another one aside. We are not going to concede to those GIs! I already walked to their tanks, my fists angrily clenched deep in the pockets of my white jacket. Today we have witnessed very clearly how this so-called 'liberation' is actually a bloodbath, with countless civilian casualties."
Occupation and crimes :
"It's like in Vietnam"
Baghdad diaries, April 11, 5:30 p.m.
Dr. Geert Van Moorter by satellite phone
U.S. occupation forces commit war crimes with impunity
Bert De Belder
"We've heard more horrifying stories today about the U.S.-soldiers' behavior. The injured are requesting the U.S. army vehicles for a ride to the hospital in vain. Medical personnel doesn't even dare to ask permission from American checkpoints to bring the wounded to the hospital as any Iraqi who approaches U.S. soldiers risks to be shot. They would rather ask us, the foreigners, to negotiate with the U.S.-troops for patients to be allowed to pass.
"A journalist of The London Mail told me he was appalled by the U.S.-troops' behavior. He had seen how they shot down two Iraqis without any reason. Also somebody who came to their aid was shot in cold blood. 'It's like in Vietnam,' the journalist sighed, 'they take aim at anything that moves.' I also talked about it with an American army doctor. Do you know what he answered? 'You got to understand. These guys are still young. When they're anxious, they easily shoot.' The U.S. troops have blanket impunity here. They can get away with anything and don't even risk any legal action. 'Nobody is perfect,' they say. Or they justify it as a 'pre-emptive strike'. Just like this whole war is a 'pre-emptive strike' against the threat of Saddam's 'weapons of mass destruction' - that neither the weapons inspectors, nor the U.S. occupation force have been able to find. Apparently, shooting at an ambulance is also a 'pre-emptive strike' because it might contain explosives! Two dead and three heavily injured? 'Collateral damage'!
"The U.S. troops' arrogance is incredible. We have to restrain ourselves continuously not to argue with them. But we scorn them and snap their heads off. Like those soldiers that were chopping a statue of Saddam in pieces to bring home as souvenirs.
"I yelled: 'Hurrah, you are real heroes! Congratulations, that's a job well done!' The idiots thought I was serious and looked at me gratefully. 'Yeah, really great! You peppered an ambulance with bullets. You made hundreds of civilian casualties. You allow the looting of hospitals, leaving the wounded in agony. Real heroes!' It took them some time to realize that I was actually ridiculing them with their miserable pieces of Saddam's statue, while scolding them for having blood on their hands. Finally they laughed sheepishly. And I laughed up my sleeve."
Support the work of Geert and Colette in Baghdad: Bank account number 001-1951388-18 of Medical Aid for the Third World with reference "Iraq mission."
We think it is very important that impartial reports of "non-embedded" sources keep reminding us about the horrors of this war. This war is particularly "dirty", and many innocent civilians die. And the lies keep coming. Remember that independent journalist are being harrassed, locked up, tortured and even killed by "friendly fire". A Belgian TV-journalist, who is in the south of Iraq, has described the hostilities of British troups against him yesterday in the 8 o'clocknews. Disgraceful.
Now the US/UK-aggressors are using new types of bombs and ammunition. Can anyone tell me more about this type of bombs, which Geert describes in the first report? It has something to do with liquid copper or something. Horrible. Why doesn't the BBC report about this? Surely they must have access to these places, have knowledge about these incidents, because these regions are under US/UK control, they say. To me and others all around the world, the BBC has lost all its credibility. They can't be trusted anymore. They have proven to be a part of the US/UK war-machine. Masks have fallen. Shame on them.
Greetings.
Dirk Adriaensens.
For additional information:
The Belgian NGOs Medical Aid for the Third World (MATW) and S.O.S. Irak Belgium:
http://www.m3m.be
http://www.irak.be
http://www.irak.be/ned/missies/medicalMissionColetteGeert/two_belgian_doctors_in_baghdad.htm
This site contains pictures of Iraqi casualties from the recent bombing.
http://www.robert-fisk.com/iraqwarvictims_mar2003.htm
Please also read:
"US troops' anguish: Killing outmatched foes"
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0411/p03s01-woiq.html
"US Forces Encourage Looting", by Ole Rothenborg Translated article from Sweden's largest circulation daily,Dagens Nyheter, Saturday April 11, 2003
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article2914.htm
"Myths About Israel, Iran-Iraq War, Saddam Debunked by Veteran Journalist"
http://www.americanfreepress.net/07_14_02/Myths_Saddam/myths_saddam.html
Dr. Geert Van Moorter, April 2, 2003
From this morning until late this afternoon, Dr. Colette Moulaert and me were at the Al-Yarmouk hospital. Some thirty injured were brought to the hospital. Apparently, a bomb had struck in the vicinity. I was at the emergency ward where I saw 2 dead and several injured patients because of shrapnels.
The hospital staff already knows us. While other westerners, mostly journalists, are given a short tour, we can freely accompany the doctors. An orthopedic surgeon called me in his consultation room and asked me advice on some of his patients. We exchanged experiences with pain management. It made a welcome change for the psycho-social support we usually give.
When you get to know the hospital from the inside, you notice the shortages: some pain relievers and antibiotics for example. But at a press conference I heard vice-president Ramadan reiterate that Iraq doesn't need humanitarian assistance. What is needed is the end of the US aggression and the sanctions, and the unfreezing of Iraqi bank accounts. Iraq is too proud to beg for humanitarian aid and understandably so.
But the Iraqi health authorities welcome the assistance of organizations - like Medical Aid for the Third World - that work in the first place for the removal of the root causes of the Iraqi people's suffering, the armed aggression of the US and the UK, and that show their solidarity with the Iraqi people.
Do you want to hear another anecdote about the weapons inspections? Today we also dropped in at the El-Mustansiriya University. It has been under fire for five days although it had been searched thoroughly by the weapons inspectors who proclaimed it free of weapons. And still it was a target for the US! Are you surprised that the people here say the weapons inspections only served to identify targets for the bombings?
"About the horrors of war, 100 km south of Baghdad"
Bert de Belder, April 4 2003
"I have two awful stories to tell", Geert immediately starts when I get him on the line. "Today we drove to Hilla, a small town near Babylon that was heavily bombed yesterday. One poor district was hit by 20 to 25 bombs. The hospital of Hilla received in the next half an hour 150 seriously injured patients. Dr. Mahmoud Al-Mukhtar said that the wounds were caused by clusterbombs. These are bombs that explode into many small bombs that again explode individually and cause enormous damage. Clusterbombs are banned by the International Laws on War, but Bush completely disregards these! In the hospital I have seen very many abrading situations. A family of eleven persons, of whom six are dead. A father who is left with one child; his wife and two sons are dead. Small children with amputated limbs."
"My second story is even more horrible", warns Geert. "About a bus with civilians that was fired upon. Not the one in Najaf, which reached the news everywhere, but a case that according to me has not yet been covered by western media. Three days ago, In Al Sqifal, near Hilla, a passenger bus was fired upon from an American checkpoint, with ghastly results. According to witnesses the bus stopped on time and had, on orders of the American Military, turned back. Dr. Saad El-Fadoui, a 52 years old surgeon who still has studied in Scotland, was immediately on the place of incident from the hospital in Hilla. When he told me what he had seen there, he again became very emotional, three days after it had happened. 'The bodies were all carbonized, terribly mutilated, torn into pieces, he sighs. 'In and around the bus I saw dismembered heads, brains and intestines,..' One wonders what a criminal weapon of mass destruction could have caused these horrors. Nobody had heard the sound of an explosion; on the bodies no traces of shrapnel were found. A journalist spoke of a heat-weapon with liquid copper or something like that.. Can the Americans be really that cruel? Dr. Saad El-Fadoui asked us repeatedly to do everything to help stop this horrible war of aggression.
Geert understands me poorly when I say something, the line is not always clear. "We are momentarily without electricity", he explains. "Large blocks in Baghdad are without electricity, last night the bombardment was very severe. Colette (Geert's college-doctor Dr. Collete Moulaert) saw from her hotel room, just behind the mosque in this neighborhood, two enormous fireballs coming down. I think that these are containerbombs of about 7-8 tons each that cause enormous vibrations. "I am shivering of the cold", Collete said, but this was the vibration caused by the bomb explosion.
"You should not belief everything what CNN and BBC are showing, Geert informs us. "That we were able to travel today up to Hilla (near Babylon, south of Kerbala) with a large group 'human shields', 100 km south-west of Baghdad, proves convincingly that the Iraqi capital is not being completely surrounded and besieged. Along the way we hardly saw Iraqi troop movements. On the 100 km route we didn't pass any Iraqi checkpoint, and hardly saw signs of war. There were groups of scattered houses, trees, even children playing with paper kites .. One time we were told to take a side road because a colon of 20 to 30 Iraqi tanks had to pass. This again disproves the charges that the Iraqi army is using civilians as shield for military operations: our civilian vehicle was first sent safely to another road before the Iraqi army passed. On our way back the Americans and British were bombing the area. For our safety we had to take a new, another road, but this was also nearly hit by a bomb, followed by a thick plume of smoke. This was frightening for awhile, because we were not safely in our hotel, but in the open air.
Baghdad Diary 7 April 3 pm and 7.15 pm
Dr. Geert Van Moorter en Dr. Harrie Dewitte per satellite phone
"First day of four doctors working together 'under the bombs'"
Bert De Belder
The four doctors forming the Medical Team of 'Geneeskunde voor de Derde Wereld' (Medicine for the Third World) in Iraq - Claire Geraets, Harrie Dewitte, Colette Moulaert and Geert Van Moorter - have got well through today's heavy bombing and fighting in Baghdad. From the Sheraton hotel where they are staying they witnessed the battle across the Tigris, in the western part of town. In the afternoon however shops opened again, cars were driving round and life was more or less back to normal. "The Iraqi resistance troops remain visible in our part of town", Geert says, "there are some who are driving around cheering and waving flags of Iraq, just like after a victorious football match. We heard several reactions of hate for the American troops."
But life in town is certainly not getting easier. "The lift in our hotel does not work anymore, and we are on the tenth floor", Geert says. "A friend of ours, from the Iraqi friendship league, panicked: his relatives live near the Mansour hotel where an American cruise missile destroyed four houses. Despite the danger he went over there."
"An 'embedded' journalist, thinking I was a colleague of his, told me something fearful", Geert adds. 'American soldiers shot two Iraqi soldiers that had surrendered!' He saw pictures of this but knows they won't be shown on CNN. The pictures show two Iraqi soldiers with their hands on their heads. As they are lying down, G.I.s step forward and shoot them in cold blood!"
Heavy fighting made it impossible to reach hospitals today. Claire and Colette went exploring the town, while Harrie and Geert took measures to arrange a meeting at the Iraqi ministry of public health for tomorrow. There they want to regulate the handing over of the 80 kilos of medicines and surgical materials brought to Baghdad by Harrie and Claire. They really pulled off a difficult feat. This is clear when you hear that the Belgian VRT-journalist did not make it to Iraq via the same way through Syria today! An important part of the explanation must be the unwavering solidarity with the Iraqi people on the part of Geneeskunde voor de Derde Wereld.
Baghdad diaries, April 9 april, 6:19 p.m.
Dr. Geert Van Moorter through satellite telephone
"We have lost count of the civilian casualties!"
"We won't concede to those damned GIs!"
Bert De Belder
"Today, (Dr.) Harrie (Dewitte) and me witnessed the dastardly acts of those so-called 'liberators.' This morning we went to the Saddam Center for Plastic Surgery in order to hand over the medicines and surgical supplies from Belgium and to check on the British cameraman I treated yesterday. We were not able to leave the hospital anymore for the rest of the day. We were trapped because the hospital was in the line of fire. Moreover, so many patients with serious injuries were brought in that we were busy the whole time. We've seen at least 35 to 40 heavily injured patients arrive and some six dead, all of them civilians. Actually, the Iraqi authorities have lost count of the civilian casualties and so do we."
"The U.S. troops even peppered the hospital's ambulance with bullets! I saw the ambulance arrive, its body dented and windows shattered. It took me a while to realize that this was the same ambulance that had left with three casualties a couple of minutes before. The doors were jammed, the driver was wounded behind the wheel, his assistant in the passenger seat was covered with blood. It was a miracle that the driver had been able to bring his vehicle back to the hospital. The patients were in agony. One of them had taken one more bullet in the chest; I saw the blood gushing from his open chest wound."
"We are sure it were American bullets that had riddled the ambulance. After the incident I wanted to confront the Americans with what they had done. There was no driver anymore for the second ambulance so I went to them with a Reuters team. At about 300 meters from the American tank involved, I went down with a white flag, hands in the air, and shouting: 'I am a medical doctor!' When I was near, I yelled to the GIs: 'Do you realize what you have done? You shot at an ambulance!' It must have been very clear anyway as the vehicle had a big flag with the Red Crescent. An American soldier answered: 'It could have been filled with explosives!' In reality, the vehicle was carrying three patients and two paramedics - all of them heavily wounded now. Intentionally shooting at an ambulance is the umpteenth violation of international humanitarian law by the American aggression force in Iraq."
"The hospital was like hell. We didn't have any oxygen anymore or supplies for intubation. The doctors were sad and many of them were in tears when they saw how the paramedics were shot at in cold blood. After half an hour a bus arrived at the hospital, also riddled with American bullets. Many injured; shouting; pushing and shoving; chaos;.. Some cars followed, some of them with dying patients. Blood was everywhere. A tragedy. So much for the 'liberation' of Baghdad."
Medical Aid for the Third World's Medical Team is safe and sound and stays in the Sheraton Hotel. "The 'liberators' are just passing by here," Geert announces cynically while we are talking on the phone. "Surreptitiously, Colette was able to give one of them a nudge and push another one aside. We are not going to concede to those GIs! I already walked to their tanks, my fists angrily clenched deep in the pockets of my white jacket. Today we have witnessed very clearly how this so-called 'liberation' is actually a bloodbath, with countless civilian casualties."
Occupation and crimes :
"It's like in Vietnam"
Baghdad diaries, April 11, 5:30 p.m.
Dr. Geert Van Moorter by satellite phone
U.S. occupation forces commit war crimes with impunity
Bert De Belder
"We've heard more horrifying stories today about the U.S.-soldiers' behavior. The injured are requesting the U.S. army vehicles for a ride to the hospital in vain. Medical personnel doesn't even dare to ask permission from American checkpoints to bring the wounded to the hospital as any Iraqi who approaches U.S. soldiers risks to be shot. They would rather ask us, the foreigners, to negotiate with the U.S.-troops for patients to be allowed to pass.
"A journalist of The London Mail told me he was appalled by the U.S.-troops' behavior. He had seen how they shot down two Iraqis without any reason. Also somebody who came to their aid was shot in cold blood. 'It's like in Vietnam,' the journalist sighed, 'they take aim at anything that moves.' I also talked about it with an American army doctor. Do you know what he answered? 'You got to understand. These guys are still young. When they're anxious, they easily shoot.' The U.S. troops have blanket impunity here. They can get away with anything and don't even risk any legal action. 'Nobody is perfect,' they say. Or they justify it as a 'pre-emptive strike'. Just like this whole war is a 'pre-emptive strike' against the threat of Saddam's 'weapons of mass destruction' - that neither the weapons inspectors, nor the U.S. occupation force have been able to find. Apparently, shooting at an ambulance is also a 'pre-emptive strike' because it might contain explosives! Two dead and three heavily injured? 'Collateral damage'!
"The U.S. troops' arrogance is incredible. We have to restrain ourselves continuously not to argue with them. But we scorn them and snap their heads off. Like those soldiers that were chopping a statue of Saddam in pieces to bring home as souvenirs.
"I yelled: 'Hurrah, you are real heroes! Congratulations, that's a job well done!' The idiots thought I was serious and looked at me gratefully. 'Yeah, really great! You peppered an ambulance with bullets. You made hundreds of civilian casualties. You allow the looting of hospitals, leaving the wounded in agony. Real heroes!' It took them some time to realize that I was actually ridiculing them with their miserable pieces of Saddam's statue, while scolding them for having blood on their hands. Finally they laughed sheepishly. And I laughed up my sleeve."
Support the work of Geert and Colette in Baghdad: Bank account number 001-1951388-18 of Medical Aid for the Third World with reference "Iraq mission."
We think it is very important that impartial reports of "non-embedded" sources keep reminding us about the horrors of this war. This war is particularly "dirty", and many innocent civilians die. And the lies keep coming. Remember that independent journalist are being harrassed, locked up, tortured and even killed by "friendly fire". A Belgian TV-journalist, who is in the south of Iraq, has described the hostilities of British troups against him yesterday in the 8 o'clocknews. Disgraceful.
Now the US/UK-aggressors are using new types of bombs and ammunition. Can anyone tell me more about this type of bombs, which Geert describes in the first report? It has something to do with liquid copper or something. Horrible. Why doesn't the BBC report about this? Surely they must have access to these places, have knowledge about these incidents, because these regions are under US/UK control, they say. To me and others all around the world, the BBC has lost all its credibility. They can't be trusted anymore. They have proven to be a part of the US/UK war-machine. Masks have fallen. Shame on them.
Greetings.
Dirk Adriaensens.
For additional information:
The Belgian NGOs Medical Aid for the Third World (MATW) and S.O.S. Irak Belgium:
http://www.m3m.be
http://www.irak.be
http://www.irak.be/ned/missies/medicalMissionColetteGeert/two_belgian_doctors_in_baghdad.htm
This site contains pictures of Iraqi casualties from the recent bombing.
http://www.robert-fisk.com/iraqwarvictims_mar2003.htm
Please also read:
"US troops' anguish: Killing outmatched foes"
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0411/p03s01-woiq.html
"US Forces Encourage Looting", by Ole Rothenborg Translated article from Sweden's largest circulation daily,Dagens Nyheter, Saturday April 11, 2003
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article2914.htm
"Myths About Israel, Iran-Iraq War, Saddam Debunked by Veteran Journalist"
http://www.americanfreepress.net/07_14_02/Myths_Saddam/myths_saddam.html