[Baghdad Journal] From Chicago to Amman (March 6-7)

[Wade Hudson]

>From Chicago to Amman (March 6-7)

by Wade Hudson

On Thursday I return to the Voices office, which once again is the center
of a whirlwind of activity as ten or so volunteers (some of whom receive
occasional small stipends) hustle about. As is almost always the case with
any all-volunteer organization, the level of organization leaves something
to be desired. But the productivity is remarkable.

I get the staff to pose for me to take a photograph, only to discover with
some embarrassment that my new camera does not work. Later, I learn that
the batteries had expired. The learning curve for a novice like me is
steep.

An extremely competent volunteer works the phones, lining up press to
interview members of our delegation over the phone. In the space of an
hour or two, he coordinates some fifteen interviews. On the way to the
airport, he says that he would be happy if one or two television crews
show up. In the end, four arrive, which makes him ecstatic. Print and
radio media were there as well, and most of them seem sympathetic.

The press conference goes extremely well. Teresa, a Voices volunteer,
kicks it off with her guitar and some great music, after which each member
speaks and answers questions for five minutes or so. Each speaker’s
comments vary just enough to result in a smooth blend of perspectives. All
in all, a solid event.

Then we gather our bags, including some shipments of items prohibited by
the sanctions, and make our way to the plane for a thirteen-hour flight to
Amman. On the plane, I read “Cool War” by Joy Gordon, a recent Harper’s
article that describes the history of the economic sanctions against Iraq.
The realities are even more horrific than I had known. Most members of the
Security Council want to lift the sanctions, which have killed some
500,000 children and caused many medical complications. But with its veto
power, the United States has been able to prevent the lifting of sanctions
and, with great effort, has meticulously exercised its power to block
shipments of essential items that are clearly non-military.

Gordon does not analyze why the United States decided to inflict such
misery on innocent civilians. But one must wonder whether key players in
the U.S. government took this course in order to pave the way for an
invasion by undermining support for Hussein. Neo-conservative hawks in the
Administration have long advocated vehemently for the United States to
overthrow Saddam Hussein. After twelve years of punishing sanctions,
support for Hussein among Iraqis is less, and resistance to an invasion
will be weaker, than would have been the case if there had been no
sanctions. This situation may be no accident.

Regardless, as Gordon says in her conclusion, “the massive destruction of
innocents is something that is unlikely to be either forgotten or
forgiven.”

A man next to me on the flight proves to be a Jordanian staff person with
the Red Crescent on his way back home to help set up a refugee camp on the
Jordanian-Iraqi border in anticipation of a war. He believes that about
eighty percent of the Iraqi population will respond passively to an
invasion, with no enthusiasm for either side, but that among the
remainder, there will be enough anti-American fighters to produce
prolonged urban warfare. In addition, he tells me something that I have no
heard before, that large numbers of radicals are already going to Iraq to
join the fight. (Two days later, I see a mainstream article that presents
a similar report, predicting that sizeable groups of terrorists will
inflict major casualties on U.S. forces during an invasion and/or an
occupation.)

My flight companion and I have extensive conversations about American
politics, and he invites me to visit his refugee camp. I thank him for the
invitation, but tell him that I hope there will be no refugee camp for me
to visit. He is not optimistic.

On the second leg of the trip, after refueling in Ireland, a stewardess
sits down next to Martin Edwards, another IPT delegate, reads the “heart
letters” that Martin has brought, and cries. Martin had asked a class of
students to write some letters to the Iraqi people for him to deliver. The
students chose to cut up anti-war flyers into the shapes of hearts and
wrote their passionate letters on the back of those hearts. One letter
summed up the batch by simply stating, “I’m sorry.”

All six of our delegation, wearing our “No War” buttons, have many warm
exchanges with other passengers who share our opposition to Bush’s war
threat. One reason for their enthusiasm is that they themselves are not
allowed to wear such buttons in Jordan.

Upon arrival, the six of us negotiate the chaos at the airport fairly well
and head to our hotel in two cabs with bags tied on top. At the Al-Monzer
Hotel, we are greeted by Nassim, an incredibly friendly and helpful staff
person, and settle into our modest digs on Friday evening.