english translation of baghdad report 22/3
sprout | 22.03.2003 17:00
INDEPENDENT REPORT FROM BAGHDAD ORE 13.51 - ITALY INDYMEDIA
by E-LOTTA 10:45am Sat Mar 22 '03
Rough english translation of Italian report.
Telephone contact made with independent sources in Baghdad at 12.51 GMT
ORE 13.51 - - Many dead among the civilian population – nowhere for people
to take refuge.
http://www.italy.indymedia.org/news/2003/03/221561.php
In contact with Baghdad (12)
by robdinz Saturday March 22, 2003 at 01:51 PM
Telephone call at 12.05 GMT
Finally can get back in contact with the folk at Hotel "L’Andalus.
It’s very hard to get stuff out as the telephone line doesn’t work for more than 2 or 3 minutes at a time, so it’s almost impossible to send pictures and makes everything very frustrating.
Bombs are still falling but not as frequently as last night and early this morning.
They seem to be concentrating on the eastern side of the city. "Only" two explosions, (although extremely violent) in the centre of the city, which is now semi destroyed.
In the hospitals, the number of wounded that have been recovered so far (those ‘registered’) is around 350, many of whom are children.
It’s still impossible to ascertain the number of dead, -officially, 5 or 10 body remains are being quoted, but rumours run rife of countless dead.
The city, however, seems to be in slightly better spirits, if that can be said at such a time. People are out and about, making sure their friends and relations are all right and going to help those who have been hit by the devastation.
I have heard reports from Tg2 speaking about numerous shelters for the public. This is false. Any ‘shelters’ are the store rooms of shops and cafes, shored up with sandbags.
There are many reports of a small plane, probably a reconnaissance
spy plane being hit by Iraqi anti aircraft fire, and beating a retreat over the west of the city. My contacts did NOT see this, but they’ve spoken to many eyewitnesses of the hit.
A bomb dropped into the River Tigris, sent up a column of water 10’s of metres into the air, as high as the Hotel Palestine.
No shops are open. There a some tentative attempts at ‘black market selling’ from guys stopping in cars at street corners for a few minutes, then moving on.
For the people I’m working with,it is extremely difficult to collect information or documentation – if Iraqi soldiers (few) or Iraqi police (a lot, and many in plainclothes) see a camera or a video, they give chase and seize the equipment.
They tell me of the enormous impact of seeing the smoke rising from the city, its centre gutted.
Some people are trying to ferry people to hospitals, giving rides in some of the few remaining cars that can make their way across the city. Some drivers are charging high prices to transport people.
According to the general feeling, all of Baghdad thinks that Saddam is alive and well, and everyone is preoccupied with the coming night’s bombing raids, which they fear will be even more devastating and fierce that yesterday or dawn today.
I can confirm that on some arab language radio stations, there are messages, communiques and bulletins reporting that the whole Iraqi army has surrended to the anglo-american forces, that Saddam is dead, and that Iraq will be "liberated" in a few days.
by E-LOTTA 10:45am Sat Mar 22 '03
Rough english translation of Italian report.
Telephone contact made with independent sources in Baghdad at 12.51 GMT
ORE 13.51 - - Many dead among the civilian population – nowhere for people
to take refuge.
http://www.italy.indymedia.org/news/2003/03/221561.php In contact with Baghdad (12)
by robdinz Saturday March 22, 2003 at 01:51 PM
Telephone call at 12.05 GMT
Finally can get back in contact with the folk at Hotel "L’Andalus.
It’s very hard to get stuff out as the telephone line doesn’t work for more than 2 or 3 minutes at a time, so it’s almost impossible to send pictures and makes everything very frustrating.
Bombs are still falling but not as frequently as last night and early this morning.
They seem to be concentrating on the eastern side of the city. "Only" two explosions, (although extremely violent) in the centre of the city, which is now semi destroyed.
In the hospitals, the number of wounded that have been recovered so far (those ‘registered’) is around 350, many of whom are children.
It’s still impossible to ascertain the number of dead, -officially, 5 or 10 body remains are being quoted, but rumours run rife of countless dead.
The city, however, seems to be in slightly better spirits, if that can be said at such a time. People are out and about, making sure their friends and relations are all right and going to help those who have been hit by the devastation.
I have heard reports from Tg2 speaking about numerous shelters for the public. This is false. Any ‘shelters’ are the store rooms of shops and cafes, shored up with sandbags.
There are many reports of a small plane, probably a reconnaissance
spy plane being hit by Iraqi anti aircraft fire, and beating a retreat over the west of the city. My contacts did NOT see this, but they’ve spoken to many eyewitnesses of the hit.
A bomb dropped into the River Tigris, sent up a column of water 10’s of metres into the air, as high as the Hotel Palestine.
No shops are open. There a some tentative attempts at ‘black market selling’ from guys stopping in cars at street corners for a few minutes, then moving on.
For the people I’m working with,it is extremely difficult to collect information or documentation – if Iraqi soldiers (few) or Iraqi police (a lot, and many in plainclothes) see a camera or a video, they give chase and seize the equipment.
They tell me of the enormous impact of seeing the smoke rising from the city, its centre gutted.
Some people are trying to ferry people to hospitals, giving rides in some of the few remaining cars that can make their way across the city. Some drivers are charging high prices to transport people.
According to the general feeling, all of Baghdad thinks that Saddam is alive and well, and everyone is preoccupied with the coming night’s bombing raids, which they fear will be even more devastating and fierce that yesterday or dawn today.
I can confirm that on some arab language radio stations, there are messages, communiques and bulletins reporting that the whole Iraqi army has surrended to the anglo-american forces, that Saddam is dead, and that Iraq will be "liberated" in a few days.
sprout