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Diary from Baghdad, 21 April --Iraqis: "They have cut the branches, but the tree is still standing"

Dr. Geert Van Moorter, by satellite phone

Bert De Belder

For Dr. Claire Geraets and Dr. Geert Van Moorter it has been their last day in Baghdad. The Medical Team of Geneeskunde voor de Derde Wereld (Medical Aid for the Third World) has undoubtedly done a fantastic job in Iraq. They showed their concrete solidarity to Iraqi victims and health workers under the bombings. They never stopped reporting to the people at home, among other things by a satellite phone that could be bought and taken to Baghdad thanks to donations. They got media attention both in the Belgian and the international media with their penetrating reports of the war crimes committed by US-military.

Today they went to Al-Anour hospital for the last time. There they recorded on video tape Dr. Mustafa Sadik declaring that he, together with other people, will take the Belgian state to court for allowing war transports.

It was their ‘last achievement’ in Baghdad, because ”after six weeks of hard work we decided to offer ourselves a ‘holiday’ of a few hours”, as Geert said. “We intended to visit Sheik Abdel Kadr mosque. It was closed, with the door of the Quran school bashed in. Most probably the boorish work of American marine boots. Near the mosque we could hear intermittent volleys. In that neighbourhood some houses have been grabbed by Kurds of the PUK (One of the two parties operating under foreign cover in northern Iraq since the latest Gulf war, warring each other. Bert de Belder) a fact that is not appreciated by everybody.”

“We also called at the painter Kassim Alfabdi’s home. He is sure that the Americans will never control Iraq. ‘what they did at home, exterminate the Indians, they will never succeed doing here’, he says, ‘they may have cut some branches off Iraq, but they will never be able to destroy the whole tree.”

Fifteen minutes later Geert calls again. ‘Shooting has just started again near our hotel. Journalists are on the floor trying to film it. Can you hear? Probably a stray dog or something like that – those American soldiers shoot at everything that appears abnormal to them in the dark.’