Baghdad Journal
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May 12th, 3:23pm PDT
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Background & Related Sites
Media Coverage
Boulder Creek, CA, March 4,
2003
Wade Hudson, a
resident of Boulder Creek, California, is a writer, anti-poverty worker,
former mental health counselor, and lifelong community
organizer.
"Some of the troops yell friendly comments to us. One gives us the peace sign. One soldier reads a book while sitting in his gun turret. Another asks where we're from and which baseball teams we support. Another soldier pulls out a pair of high-tech binoculars and scopes out our building carefully. And yet another makes a joke about whether we've seen a funny looking guy with a mustache...
Later, I hear a slightly pejorative comment about Bush from the officer, who appears to be about twenty-five, so I approach him for a conversation. He does most of the talking. He says that he's concerned that the U.S. will pull out of Iraq as they did in Afghanistan twice. He also says:
'I did kill some civilians. I couldn't sleep some nights because of it. I
had a split-second decision to make and sometimes I made the wrong
decision. I've got only months to go and I'll be back home. They paid for
my college education that I couldn't have afforded otherwise. Saddam has
been extremely brutal. I saw the Southern swamps that he drained in order
to kill Shiites. Iraqis have welcomed us the whole way. But I don't think
the U.S. can do stuff like this alone. We need to work more with the UN.
But whatever you say, please don't blame these kids. They just do what I
tell them to do. We don't discuss politics.'"
-- Wade Hudson, Day Twenty-Eight (April 9)
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As it happened...
Lessons from Iraq
Emails from Readers
Baghdad Journal - Paperback Version
War IS Terrorism
Statement to the Press at O'Hare Intl Airport, Chicago
Reflections on the Battle of Baghdad
From Baghdad to Amman
Day Thirty-One
Day Thirty
Day Twenty-Nine
Day Twenty-Eight April 11, 12:45am PDT April 10, 7:15am PDT April 9, Noon PDT
Day Twenty-seven
Day Twenty-Six
Day Twenty-Five
Day Twenty-Four
Day Twenty-Three
Day Twenty-Two
Day Twenty-One
Day Twenty
IPT Report on Civilian Casualties Day Seventeen IPT Report on Civilian Casualties |
All photos by
Wade Husdon, Doug Johnson or other Iraq Peace Team delegates licensed Creative Commons |
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Baghdad,
April 9 |
Baghdad,
April 9 IPT delegates talk with US soldiers after bringing them water. Palestine Hotel in background. |
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Baghdad,
April 9 |
Baghdad,
April 9 US tank with "Satan's right hand" stencilled on large barrel. Small barrel has "Peace Offering" stencilled on it. Water bottles seen were given to soldiers by IPT delegates. |
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April 9 US Armored vehicle as seen from the balcony of an IPT delegate's room in the Al Fanar hotel |
Baghdad,
April 9 US tanks and armored personnel carriers on Abu Nuwas Street near the Palestine and Al Fanar hotels |
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April 9 IPT delegate Jooneed Khan talks with a US soldier in the Palestine Hotel |
Baghdad,
April 9 US soldiers in the Palestine Hotel |
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April 9 US soldier poses for IPT delegate. Water bottle by his side was a gift from the IPT |
Baghdad,
April 9 Sheets and towels hanging from journalists rooms in the Palestine Hotel to ward off attacks after a US tank fired on a room occupied by Reuters staff, killing 3 and wounding 3. |
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March 28 Saja Jaafar, Age 2, who was injured in the Al Sholeh district when the house she was in was bombed. Her 3 yr old sister died. |
Baghdad,
March 28 Sajad Mohammed, Age 3, who was injured in the same bombing. His 2 yr old brother was also killed. |
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March 24 Nada Adnan, 14 years old. Injured on March 23 |
Baghdad,
March 24 Rusel Salem Atmas, 10 years old, from Rosala |
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March 26 Amar, 7 years old from Al Yusfia village, injured on March 26 |
lBaghdad,
March 26 Mueen, 8 years old from Adora, injured on March 22 |
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March 23 Victims in Yarmook hospital from the Hayy Djamiya District | ||
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Background and more
I’ve known about the work of the peacemaker community for some time, primarily through the work of David Hartsough. I just think that building a large peace force that could go into situations to help defuse and/or mediate or otherwise discourage violence is a great possibility. On a small scale, in places like villages in Columbia, there have been successes already.
- Wade Hudson, Baghdad Journal, March 2
About twenty Iraq Peace Team members, including Wade, plan to stay in Iraq indefinitely, even if President Bush invades Iraq. They will not deploy themselves as human shields, but will live in Baghdad and provide support and assistance to the Iraqi people as best they can.
Why I Am Going to Iraq, March 1
To receive Wade's journal entries while he is in Baghdad, you can subscribe to his Baghdad Journal.
To support Wade's efforts, please donate to the Iraq Peace Team.
Learn more about the Iraq
Peace Team and Voices in
the Wilderness.
Follow diary entries from other Iraq Peace Team delegates:
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Media Coverage :
Other internet coverage of Wade Hudson's work with the Iraq Peace Team Predefined Google News search for news stories about the "Iraq Peace Team" displayed in reverse chronological order |
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