IRAQ MEDIA WARS

IRAQ MEDIA WARS

This is a discussion between Rosemarie Gillespie, one of five Australians of 13 people--the others from other countries--in a human-shield team at the 7th of April Water Treatment Plant, on the Tigris River, in the suburbs of Baghdad. She is talking with Max Watts in Sydney, Australia.

Hi people: This is GOM Max.

GOM, in case you haven't got it yet, means grumpy old man. Apparently a promotion (DC says) from DOM. Mauldin (oldies will know, others can ignore or ask) had a cartoon, Willie asks Joe: What is the difference between advancing blisters and retreating blisters ? As far as I remember, Joe doesn't answer.

We are swamped in requests for clean water. I.e. in this case honest information. As I have often said: Everybody is biased, but some people are honest. We're carrying a glass uphill against torrents of shit coming down, sometimes an unpleasant tiring task. I guess my masochism being ltd., I had never heard 2 GB or such before, we have been a bit shielded.

Although prioritize "want to get your Round-Robins" emails, putting them on b4 do almost anything else (calls to Iraq do come first) - some of you may be getting them belatedly or to wrong addresses. Sorry. We'll do what we can.

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NOTES FROM Friday 28.3.03, 15:45 AEST (sorry, too many os's, oversea people now getting this = Australian Eastern Summer Time): (working backwards, towards yesterday

ERKA, (sick in bed in Sydney, watching Television): I don't get it, what has happened to the war ? Until yesterday (Thursday) it was Iraq, Iraq, Iraq all the time, the wonderful noble Americans advancing, now, suddenly, only about Dixie Chicks (phon) some American Band, being taken off the air because they are against the war, and the New York cops harassing protesters.

The last thing I (Erka) saw on TV from Iraq was an Iraqi saying to the Americans: "You are going to lose this war". Max demurs, that's hardly possible, Iraq beating America, but a/ then remembers that my mother said - in 1967 - when I asked her for Dollars for RITA - "I am all for the Vietnamese, but realistically - against America - they haven't got a chance.." But she gave, and the Vietnamese, helped by RITAs, won.

ABC Radio News, 16:00: Fragging RITA killed 2 (previously none, then one) American officers.

3AW Melbourne Commercial Radio: (Had cut Rosemarie Gillespie off when she tried to bring out Bougainville war, in comparison to Iraq. (see below). Off course Bougainville, against all plans, had won war against Australia. Wanted to tell them Rosemarie had had close bombs, just after their interview 8 hours ago. Apparently not interested, left message, we'll see.

Baghdad 6:45, Friday, 28.3.03:

Get thru at first try, good line ! Wonders never cease !

M: sorry to get you up.

Rosemarie Gillespie: Time to get up, even had my coffee. Spoke to 3AW (see above) yesterday, Had some really nasty bombs, really close, very impolite of Americans to wake us up.

M: Can you see what they hit ?

R; If I was in the hotel, on 6th floor, yes, but here low, in office, can't see much.. only when fires, flames. W (cineaste) left yesterday. Syria looks like best bet. We (human shields) want to get material out, written stuff, email isn't working right now, and need to get it out before it is too late, but also X doesn't really want to leave, it's a problem. We want to send people with material, staggering trips, need people at home, so they can, personally, cut thru the crap of the media, really incredible. this 3AW guy was playing ads to us, as we listened, and then came with "the human shields (us) and the protests in Australia are making the war take longer .."!

M Isn't he making you very important ? (not just the Australian Human Shields, but also Australia as (after all a minor) part of the killing coalition !).

R: Laughs. Important ! And very effective ! And then this 3AW guy (name unknown, I tried check, but no go) comes on with: "International Law is not important, only the geopolitics of the region count." (Rosemarie is a barrister.. it shows !)

M: In meantime, kill kill. Yesterday, for first time, "they" admitted to killing civilians in Baghdad. 14.. or so.

R Yes, then we heard them say it was Iraqi anti-aircraft fire ! Such crap !

M Well, it's supposed to win hearts and minds. It's a war for democracy..

R Yes. Oil Company Democracy. I said - to the 3AW guy - just like in Bougainville, killing for Rio Tinto. He didn't like that at all, and cut me off.

M There's an alternative TV - nowadays - Al Jazeera.but

R Yes, an alternative to the Bullshit media. That's why they bombed it..

M in Afghanistan

R in Baghdad. Yesterday. Saw the TV building, whole inside blown out.

M Is the TV dead ?

R No. Continues, but no color, only black and white. They (Americans) of course have every intention of stopping all alternative media.. get out only their versions..

M That reminds me ! They are pushing a story about Human Shields, eyes opened by evil Saddam "sick sadist" regime. A "young American pastor with the Assyrian Church of the East, Kenneth Joseph" - told UPI how "his trip (to Iraq) has shocked me back to reality", how "some Iraqis interviewed . were willing to see their homes demolished to gain their freedom from Saddam's bloody tyranny." What do you know about him, this ?

R He must have been in the early days. I never met, (heard of?) him. I'll ask around, ask others, tell you tomorrow. In the early days I was first in Basra, and wasn't in touch with the Human Shields groups (in Baghdad). I heard there were so me nuts there.

WC - who had met these - called some the Tissue Shields. Some were thrown out. There is mention of this by some of the people thrown out, on the Human Shields web site. (See below).

M Your water treatment plant is working ?

R Yes. Perfectly.

M You know there is no (drinkable?) water in Basra ?

R Yes. I am very upset. I knew Basra would be hit first, I wanted, was offering, to go, could have gone (back, R had been in Basra before). But then I had no money, and by the time my money came through (from the Quaker Peace Team in Canberra) I had already come here (to the 7th of April Water Treatment Plant in Baghdad).

R I'm very sad and disappointed. I could have (should have?) gone. They are copping hell. There are some very good people there, I met them. But now going there is impossible.

M/R speak of talk M gave at Labor Party Peace group fund-raiser, in Glebe pub last nite: The human shield have done very much. The Baghdad water refinery (protected by a dozen international human shields) is still working. Clean Water for 3 million people and a special Red Cross unit refining extra pure water for the hospitals. In Basra where there are no human shields, the water refinery has been bombed, no clean water. Adolf, particularly Musso Blair, go on about bringing good water to Basra. WHO BOMBED THE GOOD WATER PLANT IN THE FIRST PLACE ? WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT A WHILE BEFORE "THE MEDIA" ASK THAT ONE.

M Basra. Shi'ites were supposed to help Americans..

R I spoke to enough people there, to know that a lot, most, Shi'ites would not help the Yanks. I think people on the ground (like RG) are in a better position to know than someone in Washington or Lon don.

M The American, Negroponti, has suddenly found his way to the UN again. (after the UN Security Council had been black-balled by Adlai Powell and co because they would have voted against war, had they been allowed to show "their cards", as initially requested). Ponti and Musso want the UN to re-start their Oil for Food Program (which had been stopped by American invasion). It's very clear, but very much UNSAID, that this is food and aid ONLY FOR AMERICAN/BRIT OCCUPIED IRAQ. NOT, NOTHING AT ALL FOR THE GOVERNMENT SIDE.

R What Crap ! What a cruel and dirty game ! The same thing as in BOUGAINVILLE ! (RG spent over a year behind the Australian/PNG blockade in four trips in free Bougainville) First deprive people of the essentials, first with the sanctions, a form of blockade, siege, then say "We will meet people's needs, food (water), medicine - BUT ONLY IN AREAS WHICH SURRENDER ! FILTHY! That 3AW bloke didn't like it at all, when I mentioned Bougainvi lle.

M Of course not ! Bougainville.. never happened ! Above all, because Bougainville won, beat Australia, Rio Tinto. Winning is not allowed.

R You know, Iraq will win..

M ???

R Yes. It'll be a tough, long-drawn-out war.

Right now the Yanks are in trouble, 100 kms South of Baghdad. A couple of days ago Rick ? Jamieson, from DEFAT (Oz Foreign Affairs and Trade) called me, told me ! the "Allies" were 50 kms from Baghdad. now 100.. People here say because of the Sandstorm, brought on by Allah. Windstorm, if you want to believe Allah.. But we do expect Baghdad to be besieged, so if we want to bring material to Australia, and as the email is not (always?) working, we should bring it out. soon. Some of this material is really essential, we visited 2 hospitals yesterday, 2 groups, I was in the Yarmook hospital, many horribly wounded. Lots of people who had lost their whole family.. A 10 year old boy, wounded in the crotch.. he began crying on my shoulder.

(Adolf, Musso, winning hearts and minds ..)

There was this distressed blind man, couldn't speak any English, but he took his shoes off, held them up, then threw them on the floor, stamped on them: "That's Bush, That's Blair !"

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NOTES FROM THURSDAY 27.3.03: (7 am Baghdad Time)

Rosemarie (Gillespie): Cheerful. Heavy bombing last night (26/27). I slept thru, except for one big one, which woke us all up. Channel 7 is trying to get thru to speak to Donna, we can't talk (with me) for long.

Patricia (Moynihan): (Reply to M re if Iraqi television, "destroyed" by targeted bombs" (Freedom of Information ? They did that in Belgrade too) has gone ? P: No, its on, but only black and white, no more color, at least not now. And it's grainy. Speaking (they do do that !) in Arabic.

RG: They (Iraqis) carry on, determined. Here watch them work, refining, extra water for hospitals. Work at (special refining) units here. Yesterday (26.3) got dark early, sandstorm, big.. but work goes on. Sandstorm all yesterday. Little visibility. Clear now. Rained at 17:30, heavy. Comes down yellow, big mud puddles, driving slide, . Iraqis drive wild, but get there. Went to town, computers have problems, email very erratic, use "Palestine" E-mail Address: palestine@uruklink.net mostly.

M to PM: Are you staying ? What if the Americans come ?

PM Staying. till (x date). That's what I'm here for..

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From last email received:

Dear Max, Bill, Friends and comrades:

Thank you for your words of encouragement and passing on my reports. Try also on the Human Shields website www.humanshields.org .

I thought up a new song today. It goes to the tune of "Teddy bears Picnic". Please pass it on.

IF YOU COME DOWN TO IRAQ TODAY

If you come down to Iraq today
you're in for a big surprise
It won't take long to realise
you've been told a heap of lies.
No matter how many bombs are dropped
The Iraqis will not open their shop
So Yanks go home
Or go it alone
Out there in the desert!

Now that the United States forces have encountered stiff resistance down in Southern Iraq, we might be in for a few nasties in Baghdad. We anticipate that the bombing of Baghdad and other parts of Iraq may intensify.

Love and peace,

Waratah