CPTnet
May 8, 2003
IRAQ UPDATE: May 8, 2003 9pm/1pm EDT
Jerry Levin reported in to Doug Pritchard via satellite phone from Baghdad.
He had met with the head of the Economics Department at Baghdad University
who was very angry at the U.S. bombing of the university. "There was no
reason for it," he told Levin.
The Levins then attended the nightly Majors / NGO meeting (Humanitarian
Assistance Coordination Committee). The U.S. military maintains that things
are improving, albeit slowly. They cited the following: (1) shots were fired
at U.S. soldiers in three incidents today but most of Baghdad is now
classified as "safe," (2) a big new water pump is operating at Umm Qasr near
Basrah, (3) a Regional Air Movement Control Centre has been established to
facilitate commercial air traffic which could start in one to six months,
(4) power is often on in Baghdad, although the frequent interruptions in the
supply are a procedures, (5) fifty tankers a day of gasoline are being
distributed in Baghdad, far less than needed in a country with the second
largest oil reserves in the world, (6) garbage collection has started but
there is a large backlog, (7) looting continues despite the hiring of armed
security guards for government ministries and as a result, most government
workers are afraid to return to work, (8) schools are continuing to reopen
and more boys and girls are attending but the physical needs are great.
Teachers have only been paid $20 so far, but Lt. Gen. Garner insists
government salaries and back-pay will begin by the end of the month.
Lisa Martens and Stewart Vriesinga travelled to Basrah by road. The seven
hour trip was uneventful. They encountered one U.S. army and two Iraqi
police checkpoints on the way. They saw some military vehicles on the road,
a few burned out Iraqi tanks, and lots of shepherds with their flocks of
sheep.
In Basrah they met with the new pastor, Asturi, at the Presbyterian church.
He said that the city is a lot calmer over the last three days. But the
price of cooking gas has increased from 700 dinars a bottle to 6, 000 dinars
and people are really suffering. The team then met with Archbishop Kassab at
the Chaldean church. He was being questioned by reporters about the killing
of two Christians, allegedly for selling alcohol, but he had no information
on the deaths. He told the team a big piece of shrapnel had come through his
window on Apr. 2 but missed him. The church is supplying food baskets to
1,500 families in the city. He arranged a hotel, car, and translator for the
team.
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