CPTnet
May 1, 2003
IRAQ UPDATE: April 30, 2003 9 pm/1 pm EDT
Lisa Martens reported to Doug Pritchard for the team. During the entire
conversation, gunshots could be heard in the distance over the satellite
phone. At yesterday's US Army / NGO daily briefing, CPT had raised the
issue of the munitions dump in the Mansour neighbourhood. The Major hosting
the meeting asked for a report which CPT delivered at today's meeting. No
response. The Major announced that some Baghdad schools will re-open on May
3 and that teachers have been given a one-time advance payment. The
representative from Doctors Without Borders became
angry at reports that said the current unstable situation had been
predicted, and yet the US had made no preparations. She then left the
meeting.
Lisa met with the Red Cross and gave them our report on the Mansour
munitions dump. They said that they do surveys and public education on
unexploded ordnance but they do no clearance. They have reminded the U.S. of
its responsibilities in this regard, and will start public education in
Baghdad next week. Such education has already started in Basrah. They
agreed it will take two to five years to clear Baghdad.
The team took a delegation from Mennonite Central Committee to the Mansour
munitions dump. While there, an Iraqi told them about a four-year-old boy
blinded by a cluster bomb ten days ago. The team went to visit his hospital
where the Iraqi Red Crescent said the boy had not been operated on until
today because of the shortage of electricity and supplies.
Electricity is now available in Baghdad for a few hours during the day but
not at night.
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