arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

There will be No Victors in this War,Cathy Breen, Baghdad, Iraq Peace Team

10 April 2003

Dear Friends,

What to tell you, I feel so anguished. It seems as though a corner has been turned. This morning as someone from our group was on their balcony listening to BBC, others of us were positioned on the other side of the hotel looking at the Jumhurriya bridge about 1 or 1 1/2 miles away. The streets in this area were pretty much deserted with the exception of an occasional car. As we watched we were hearing on BBC that US led coalition tanks were crossing the bridge. We could see and hear explosions around us, but also there was smoke from explosions and artillery fire near the bridge; planes overhead and bombs dropping all around. Suddenly there was a great explosion and we were able to see smoke from a corner of the Palestine hotel across the way. It had been hit. This is where all of the press people in Baghdad are staying. I later heard that someone from Reuters had been hit.

There is a deep sadness overshadowing all of this. When I asked an Iraqi friend about his family, if they were well, he answered me in a voice
filled with a deep sadness and resignation. "It is my country, it is my
country!" He went on to say that he hopes there will not be civil war. This
is something everyone here fears now.

After our conversation I began to separate a large and weighty package of dense
dates into smaller plastic bags, thinking folks here would be glad to have
them. Even the few vegetable stores will be closed after today I heard, and
there will be no possibility to get fresh vegetables. It was a task that I
welcomed, slow and methodical, allowing my thoughts to settle. I realized more
clearly than ever before, there are no victors in this war. There are no
victors. Just senseless death and killing on both sides. Grieving families left
to pick up the pieces. My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by two great
explosions, and I left the dates to run downstairs to see what had happened.

To my surprise, Mr. Bush was on the TV giving an address from the Oval office
I believe. It was very difficult to follow his words as it was being
translated into Arabic. There is no electricity presently as the hotel's large
generator broke down yesterday. However there is a small generator downstairs
that permitted this television transmission. I sat down to listen surrounded
by Iraqi friends. No one spoke. After struggling for a time to understand
what was being said, I finally stood to leave when I heard Mr. Bush speak about
having a "vision for peace."

I was sitting in view of a soft-spoken elderly Iraqi gentleman with whom I've
had an occasional conversation. As I watched the dignity with which he held
himself, my heart broke. I can only imagine what it must be like for countless
Iraqis to be subjected now to an occupation of their proud country by a foreign
power, especially one that has so ruthlessly bombed and continues to bomb and
destroy their proud country. Now they will be faced with watching their
country's oil and resources be divided up, and with possible civil war.

Last night I heard that the U.S. military is bringing not only embedded press
with them when they enter, but also 3,000 Iraqis who very well might
become "embedded dancers" frolicking in the streets to demonstrate how jubilant
Iraqis are to be "liberated." Should this happen, we only hope that there will
be a few journalist who will document the truth. The feeling here is anything
but joyous and jubilant.

Last night in my journal I wrote, "How could either of our countries allow so
much power to be given to one person?" I was thinking of the respective
leaders of each country. I place the greater burden on the U.S. because we
claim to have a democracy. Again I will say with such a heaviness of heart,
there will be no victors in this war. Tragically we in the states have forced
this war on the Iraqi people, a people who only want peace. Dear God, I don't
know how I'll bear it if we in the states now take on a triumphal attitude and
declare ourselves victors and liberators of the Iraqi people.

I hope you are all well, as well as can be expected. I think we are all in the
same boat.

Much love to you all. Please God this will get off to you.

Love Cathy

Indeed, there will be no victors in this war.