Sunday, November 28
Mortar rounds falling into the Green Zone woke some team members at 6:45am. The view from the rooftop indicated that the mortars did little damage.

Team members Tom Fox, Cliff Kindy, and Maxine Nash met with the head of public relations of Iraq’s Communist Party (CP). Founded in 1934, and often suppressed, it is the oldest political party in Iraq. The CP opposes the U.S. invasion and occupation because they feel that Saddam’s regime could have been overcome with nonviolent opposition. They recognize the concerns but oppose the violence of the insurgency because the killing of innocent civilians cannot be justified.

(See “Party Politics” by Cliff Kindy, released on Dec 2, 2004, for more information).

Monday, November 29
An Iraqi human rights organization asked the team for contacts to whom they can refer medical cases of children injured by the U.S. occupation. The team agreed to facilitate such contacts.

Fr. Yousif, an Iraqi Catholic priest of the Dominican order, came for dinner. He discussed his analysis of the struggles in Iraq, and his hopes for improving the situation through education. He is founding a popular university for those who can only attend school part-time. “I will not give diplomas,” he said. “I want students who are hungry for knowledge, not for a piece of paper.” He also mentioned cultural differences between East and West. “The West is always looking at the future, and we are always looking at the past. The best way would be a balance between the two.”

Tuesday, November 30
The team observed the second weekly Day of Prayer, Fasting, and Action for Iraq (see prayerandactionforiraq.blogspot.com for more details). Team members fasted on bread and water for 24 hours and devoted an extra hour to group prayer. The week’s theme was the Advent/Christmas message “Peace on Earth.” A neighborhood friend who owns a restaurant nearby sent a surprise lunch of Iraqi specialties, which the team reluctantly saved for another day.

The brother of Adnan Talib Hassan al Obaidi, a detainee who is part of CPT’s Adopt-a-Detainee Letter-Writing Campaign, visited the team. The brother has written repeatedly to various U.S. military authorities responsible for maintaining the detainee database, but he has never received a reply. Adnan has been in Abu Ghraib prison for seven months, and the family still has not learned when his case will be reviewed or how long they can expect him to be imprisoned.

Another team friend visited. Sheila Provencher recorded his story about his conscientious objection to army service, and his subsequent torture under Saddam Hussein’s regime. He said that he is glad Saddam is gone, but he is opposed to the U.S. occupation because he is against any form of violence.

Wednesday, December 1
Stephen Farrell, a Middle East correspondent for the London Times, visited to interview the team about their work in Iraq.

Fox and Nash visited a Shi’a leader and team advisor. He said the team was taking risks in being in Baghdad, but expressed approval for their current projects. He introduced Nash and Fox to a young woman whose baby has a life-threatening congenital disease that is only treatable outside Iraq. The team agreed to accompany the woman to the Iraqi Assistance Center in the Green Zone.

A neighbor stopped by. He discussed recent kidnappings of Iraqis. Another neighbor’s relative was kidnapped and subsequently returned after the family paid $20,000 ransom. Up to seven Iraqis are kidnapped in Baghdad every day. The team’s neighbor pointed out that the result is a “brain drain,” as Iraq’s academics and professionals leave the country. He did not understand why the U.S. authorities do not stop the kidnappers. “They can tap phone lines, they can track down the kidnappers,” he said. “If the U.S. wanted to stop this, they could. Why don’t they?”

Thursday, December 2
At 11:00am, three large explosions shook the building. The mortar or rocket landed less than two blocks away. Another explosion echoed across the city. The team found out later that the last explosion had occurred southwest of their neighborhood, and that it shattered the windows of a primary school. Team friends had children in the school, and described the chaos and fear of the students.

Kindy and Provencher attended a neighborhood art exhibit where a team friend had some paintings displayed. A young artist talked with the CPTers and explained that it is very difficult to be an artist now in Iraq, because of the bad economy and bad security situation. “But this is why we must continue,” he said. The CPTers admired one of his paintings – the symbolism suggested both suffering and hope – and he insisted on giving it to them as a gift.

Friday, December 3
Kindy, Nash and Provencher interviewed a young Iraqi who works for an American company in the Green Zone. They discussed many things, from security to the media to the future. “Do not believe the media,” he said. “Whenever I go to chatrooms online and say I am Iraqi, I get a very negative response. People think I am a terrorist. Where do they get this idea?”

An independent journalist and aid worker from Australia visited the team. She founded centers to help Iraqi children heal from trauma suffered during years of war and instability. Post-traumatic stress disorder among children is “endemic” in Iraq, she said. “A whole generation is scarred.”

Saturday, December 4
An enormous explosion shook the building at 9:35am. Black smoke rose across the river, more than a mile away. The team later found out that an Iraqi Police station had been hit, and at least three officers killed.

Some neighborhood children who live in an abandoned store visited the team. They often knock on the window, looking for a few minutes of smiles and attention.

While out food shopping, Fox and Kindy noticed two other foreigners, an unusual sight in Baghdad these days.

The team had expected a human rights worker from Kerbala to visit for the weekend, to discuss development of a Muslim Peacemaker Team. He never came. The mobile phones could not reach Kerbala and the team could not get in touch with him.

The team friend who was a conscientious objector visited. He is struggling with depression because of the situation in Iraq. He is poor but refused food or a blanket, and said, “I just need two things: peace, and rest.” He shared a poem that he wrote. The last line was about watching the sunset: “do not weep, because the dawn will come again.”

Christian Peacemaker Teams is an ecumenical violence-reduction program with roots in the historic peace churches. Teams of trained peace workers live in areas of lethal conflict around the world. CPT has been present in Iraq since October, 2002. To learn more about CPT, please visit http://www.cpt.org. Photos of CPT’s projects may be viewed at http://www.cpt.org/gallery