June 16th to June 30th
Initiated by Jubilee Iraq* and Voices in the Wilderness**

Participants also include members of Jubilee USA and Progressive Democrats of America

As international social justice activists, including citizens of Iraq, the U.S. and the U.K., we stand united and resolved to seek an end to the ongoing economic exploitation of Iraq. Such exploitation is a form of violence which must be resisted. Those of us who are citizens of the U.S. and U.K. bear a special responsibility as it is our respective countries which created and held firm to the economic sanctions regime which devastated Iraq’s health care, education, water and electrical infrastructure.

By Greg Rollins
Christian Peacemaker Teams

Over the past several days I have spent time with a CPT delegation here in Iraq. We listened to a lot of different people speak. Because the people in Iraq, Iraqi or other wise, always ask us to tell people abroad what they have to say, here are some of their quotes:

“I am not special,” one of our translators told us as he talked about the violence here in Iraq. “Everyone has seen what I have seen.”

“It has been two years,” the psychiatrist said, “and not much has changed.”

“It is like trying to yell through concrete walls. The sound comes back and hurts your ears so you stop yelling; he has made the concrete that thick.” One of our translators said about Iraq under Saddam and why the rest of the world never paid attention to the cries of the Iraqi people.

The Lone Star Iconoclast
May 30, 2005

WASHINGTON, D.C. Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA), a medical doctor, on May 17 introduced legislation with 21 original co-sponsors in the House of Representatives that calls for medical and scientific studies on the health and environmental impacts from the U.S. Militarys use of depleted uranium (DU) munitions in combat zones, including Iraq. The McDermott bill also calls for cleanup and mitigation of sites in the U.S. contaminated by DU.

The need is urgent and imperative for full, fair and impartial studies, McDermott said. We may be endangering the health and lives of U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians. All weve gotten so far from the Pentagon are assurances. We need facts backed by science. We dont have that today.

by Tom Fox
Christian Peacemaker Teams

“Iraqis always seem to have lots of guns in their houses.” A U.S. Army colonel was making reference to how prevalent gun ownership is in Iraq. We were meeting with him in his office in the Green Zone. Draped across his high back chair was an ornate leather holster with his service revolver.

Cantina And Concrete (Photo: CPT)

by Greg Rollins
Christian Peacemaker Teams

Last summer my teammate Max and I took one of our many walks down Abu Nawas St. Abu Nawas runs along side a park adjacent to the Tigris River. When the U.S. ousted Saddam, they closed off part of Abu Nawas to protect the Palestine/Sheraton hotels and several business offices. The U.S. Army occupied about seven blocks of Abu Nawas. Cantina wire, waste-high concrete barriers and multiple checkpoints choked and divided the road. Almost all the shops and homes in the area were closed. Only authorized vehicles were allowed on this part of the street. People who wanted to walk in the area were forced to pass through checkpoints where guards would question them thoroughly about their business. Dust and weeds filled the park.