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[ Presenting plain-text part of multi-format email ] > The below report is from Julia Guest, an independent > journalist/film maker who was in Iraq during the > conflict reporting with peace activist Jo Wilding. > Julia is now back in Iraq, assisting in setting up > and > training local media workshops and sending back > regular observations. Please help to circulate this > "unrestrained" news reporting which includes the new > Indemedia Iraq/Independent paper Al- Muajaha > http://www.almuajaha.com > Julia can be reached on juliaguest@burntmail.com > cheers > davey garland > (pandora DU Project) > > > IRAQ 6 WEEKS ON > > Each decade there is a new scare in the world, we > learn to live with adept and take appropriate > action. > On a security check I found my electrical > screwdriver > transformed from a simple tool to a potential weapon > of mass destruction and couldn’t help thinking but > that panic should be over. > > On arriving at Amman airport I suddenly found > passengers split into two categories, those with > Iraqi > connections and those without. I was pushed into a > small group gathered waiting the consideration. Two > women, who were carrying Iraqi passports looked > concerned, one of them told me “I tried to fly here > from Frankfurt a week ago but Lufthansa wouldn’t > take > me because I have an Iraqi passport, now they may > not > allow me into Jordan, I don’t know what will > happen.” > I wanted to hear more but it was quickly decided > they didn’t need to hold me for just having an old > Iraqi visa and I left without knowing what happened > to > these women, who for simply having been Iraqi could > mean a stateless existence until whoever takes > control > decides who is and isn’t an Iraqi. > > It has been six weeks since I left Iraq, down a > deserted road with the real fear that a US > helicopter > might fire a rocket at us, the road was littered > with > similar casualties, we were met at the border by the > worlds press who thought this had actually happened. > > Now heading back it was amazing to see more than a > thousand Iraqi’s pouring back in. A pile of > temporary > Jordanian number plates was growing rapidly as these > men, who it mostly seemed to be were in a clear > hurry > to get back. > > Inside the border it was easy to spot angle for the > ‘new’ TV crews. One journalist’s book on the > dashboard called simply ‘Republic of Fear’ they are > here to report on the ‘Liberation’ of Iraq. > > Six weeks ago the petrol pumps here had worked. Now > Iraqi fuel overflowed in the sand, with people > scrabbling to keep canisters and cars filled. A > woman > came out of her house, the only house by the fuel > station. Her face covered in a black veil, keeping > her distance from this new reality she screamed at > the > two US soldiers who were signalling cars to keep the > road clear while the fuel flowed around them. > ‘She’s a crazy woman’ a Jordanian hastily explained > to > me. Right, she was crazy, not that she can’t > survive > in this harsh place, crazy that people were pouring > fuel into the land around her house while monitored > by > the US army, maybe. > > It will take a while to adjust to American soldier > in > this place even for me. With their supply packs and > desert gear they appear to say life in Iraq is > unviable. They waved at me going through the check > point, what can life be like for them now, with new > shoot to kill orders for looters and car-jackers, > what > is this doing to each of them. If there can be any > space for irony left in this situation the first man > at the checkpoint said it all, with his name clearly > marked on his chest, ‘German’. > > On the road its clear to see this years crops dying > rapidly in the sun, where the sprinklers had once > nurtured the young shoots now everything is brown. > > Our driver playing his music, a deep melodic ballad > started waving a finger in the air and snapping them > to the rhythm. ‘Kurdish’ he said with a broad grin, > that’s the difference Saddam isn’t listening > anymore. > We drove a mile or two with the tune and then passed > a > small US convoy with a machine gunner guarding the > rear, in perfect synch the finger gave a defiant > flick > to the music and the Americans. > > Moments later we passed a huge convoy with a range > of > machinery action man would be proud of. Twitchy > machine gunners swing left and right overlooking > empty > fields, deserted in the mid day sun. > > The walls of the Republican guard compounds, clearly > smashed through are being hastily rebuilt, breeze > blocks replacing the elegant sandstone slabs. What > they now conceal is not clear. > > Iraq is a different country now, and it seems, > meeting > some of my old Iraqi friends different rules. The > war > is still about the media message, yes Iraqi police > back on the streets, but only where they can be > filmed > by CNN. For Iraqi’s fear of mugging, murder or rape > is everywhere. the ‘Republic of Fear’ has found a > new > chapter. > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Yahoo! Plus > For a better Internet experience > http://www.yahoo.co.uk/btoffer __________________________________________________ Yahoo! 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