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LATEST ARTICLES

Iraq Diaries: With the Red Cross in Najaf and Kufa (23 August 2004)
The Media: Micah Garen released, concerns about three missing journalists (23 August 2004)
Iraq Diaries: Crisis and Hope (22 August 2004)
The Media: Concern over the fate of four foreign journalists (22 August 2004)
Iraq Diaries: Najaf: Exposing the Ways of the Occupation (20 August 2004)
Iraq Diaries
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With the Red Cross in Najaf and Kufa E-mail this
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Helen Williams, Electronic Iraq, 23 August 2004


Helen getting ready to go at the Italian Red Cross Hospital, Medical City, Baghdad.


Baghdad, 21 August 2004 -- On Thursday morning, my translator, Wejdy, and I set off, with our friend, Ali, at 5.30pm for the Italian Red Cross Hospital in Medical City in Baghdad. The streets were silent and empty as we sped across Baghdad - thankfully there were no traffic jams at this hour of the morning. From there we set off for Najaf. There were around 15 Italian Red Cross volunteers with some Iraqi Red Cross staff and we were to travel in convoy on the long and possibly dangerous journey to Najaf, taking much needed medical supplies and a lorry load of litre bags of water.





A couple of hours later we arrived in Najaf. There were signs of fighting everywhere - bullet holes and tank round holes adorned many buildings. We crossed the bridge over the beautiful Euphrates River and I remembered our earlier visit to this holiest of holy cities, back in December last year - how much calmer things were in this country then. We passed a Mahdi Army checkpoint and passersby were talking to Wejdy pointing out damage to buildings and telling us about American attacks on the city, how they could not sleep etc. Some said "God help Moqtada". We continued deeper into the city passing markets and shoppers here on the outskirts, almost carrying on as normal. But as we went on, the streets became quieter. Less and less people and cars were to be seen.

We were warned against going one way as there were American snipers there. We went a different way through a residential area. We went down narrow dusty uneven roads, each side of us sandy coloured houses came right up to the street. People came out to see us and hold up the low lying electrical cable so that the lorries could pass. We began to hear gunfire and the sounds of tank fire in the distance. As we carried on it became louder as we got nearer. Again many spoke to us, saying how many people had abandoned their houses through fear of their lives and gone elsewhere. Children came out and neighbours watched from their doorways, many waving and smiling at us - many telling us bad things about the Americans and asking why this was happening to their city. One man warned us that the Americans would not let us in.

http://electroniciraq.net/news/1615.shtml