Contact: Ceylon Mooney, Stephanie Schaudel
773.784.8065
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Experiences of Iraq Peace Team members living in Iraq during the months leading up to "Operation: Shock and Awe" and throughout the US bombing, invasion and current occupation confirm the simple adage: "Where you stand determines what you see."

On May 10, 2003, in the desperately poor Al Tharwa district in Baghdad, three generations of one family spoke with Caiohme Butterly, an Iraq Peace Team delegate, about the uncertainty and apprehension they now face: "It is like waking up from an operation," said Dr. Karim. "There is pain, and fear, and apprehension dulled a little by the anesthetic, but still there. It is pure, and complete confusion, we feel we are dreaming, waking up from one nightmare, the previous regime, perhaps to descend into another."

His mother agrees, "Oil is our curse. It brought us nothing but tragedy under Saddam. It will bring us nothing under the Americans. They should not have subjected us to another war."