CPTnet
May 28, 2004

IRAQ UPDATE: May 17-22, 2004

Monday, May 17, 2004
Stewart Vriesinga and Greg Rollins went to the Ministry of Health where they
received a letter that gives CPT permission to interview doctors in Iraqi
hospitals and gives doctors permission to speak to CPT.

Tuesday, May 18, 2004
In a telephone interview with a radio station in Virginia, the host asked
Sheila Provencher if Coalition Forces/U.S. abuse in Abu Graib had lost Iraqi
hearts and minds. Provencher suggested that mass detentions, unemployment,
and civilian deaths in resulting from the U.S. excessive force in Falluja
had already lost Iraqi hearts and minds.

In response to a team decision to visit the city of Najaf, one of the team
translators called and told the team the situations in Najaf and Kerbabla
were too intense for them to got to Najaf.

Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Vriesinga and Provencher met with Dobie MacArthur, the senior U.S. advisor
to the Coalition on detainee and prisoner issues. McArthur gave the team a
list of released detainees. When the CPTers asked him
if he knew any way CPTers could visit Iraqi prisoners in Abu Ghraib,
MacArthur suggested getting in touch with the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights
and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Because
MacArthur's tour finished at the end of May, he also promised in the next
few days to introduce CPT to his successor.

An Iraqi man from Falluja , whose nephew is part of CPT's Adopt-a-Detainee
program letter writing campaign in North America, came by the apartment. He
was excited to hear about the people writing
letters on behalf of his nephew and other Iraqi detainees, and appreciated
seeing photos of vigils and North American actions protesting the treatment
of Iraqi detainees.

Thursday, May 20, 2004
Provencher and Rollins met with an Iraqi lawyer from the Human Rights
Organization in Iraq (HROI) who had also met with McArthur the day before.
The lawyer said that MacArthur had recommended HROI work with the Iraqi
Ministry of Human Rights. The Iraqi man said he did not trust the Ministry
of Human Rights because it was a governmental ministry and would not
criticize any Iraqi governmental decisions. He
also did not understand why Iraq had a Ministry of Human Rights, when
countries like the U.S. did not.

The lawyer encouraged CPT not to go to Najaf. He said he understood that
CPT's job is to witness to the human cost of war, but said that the HROI
branch in Najaf and any other Iraqi organization would be suspected as
collaborators if seen with foreigners.

Friday, May 21, 2004
Vriesinga went to the Palestine/Sheridan hotel security complex to visit an
Iraqi friend who works there. Concertina wire blocked off one of the routes
into the complex, so Vriesinga stepped over the
wire. A U.S. soldier who saw him, yelled at him to go through the gaps in
the wire. The soldier then yelled at an Iraqi guard for not yelling at
Vriesinga. Vriesinga pointed out to the soldier that there were no gaps in
the wire, so the soldier stepped on the wire and allowed him through.

When Vriesinga did not find his friend at the Palestine, he sat down at the
side of the road to eat his sandwich. While he ate, U.S. soldiers questioned
him twice as to why he was there. The second time
a soldier named Hawkins told Vriesinga he would escort him to the front
entrance of the complex to see his lieutenant (Lt.). Vriesinga asked to
finish his sandwich first then asked what the problem was.
The soldier said a Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR, an oil company that
contracts out logistical support, personnel and security in Iraq) person
wanted him checked out. The person thought Vriesinga looked
suspicious because he entered the complex from a direction most people do
not.

 Vriesinga asked Hawkins who KBR was but Hawkins said he didn't know. "Am I
being taken to see your lieutenant on the basis of something some civilian
said?" Vriesinga asked. "I know who KBR is," Hawkins replied, "but I don't
think you need to know."

When they arrived at the front entrance, a soldier named Lt. Anderson
informed Vriesinga he would have to wait for his friend there at the
entrance to the complex. Vriesinga asked if the public no longer had access
to the complex. Lt. Anderson said they did. Vriesinga then asked why he
couldn't wait inside. Lt. Anderson told him to wait at the entrance or
leave. Vriesinga said he needed to know why because CPT visits the complex
several times a week to talk to press. Lt Anderson replied that if Vriesinga
entered the complex from the entrance most people use, there would be no
problems.

In the evening, the team received a phone call from a friend telling them to
say away from Al-Sadun St. the next day. When asked why, the friend did not
say, he just asked that the team stay off.

Saturday, May 22, 2004
The team heard several explosions throughout the day. One, it turned out,
came from Al-Sadun St. The blast killed five people there and injured a
member of the Iraqi Governing Council.