Troops still in the city

A very loud explosion not far from the centre has produced an aggressive fire.
The strange but intense movement of Iraqi troops continues in the city. They tell me of busses and trucks. At the hotel “El Khaledj” a free-lance german has arrived that tells of a periphery that is laid waste (to the ground), of numerous victims in some hit houses that found themselves in the safety of a factory of tires.
The german colleague - so he tell me- saw with his own eyes numerous victims (between 6-10) totally carbonized (killed…)
Total lack of emergeny services and any kind of help to population. The perifery is in total darkness, without light even in houses. He refers to having walked for over three hours trying to avoid having his things removed from him, and considers the centre of baghdad (since it is almost completely detroyed) to be in better condition that the perfiery to the west from whence he came. He speaks of carpets of ruin for chilometres, with hundreds of citizens in tears, in dispare, not knowing what to do or where to go.
Night has arrived, and everyone, they continue to tell me, is worryingly waiting for the next B52 bombardments that from here in one hour should start arriving in the skies of Baghdad. There has been a confirmed revolt in a prison, with shots (and maybe) an evasion mainly sucessful. Confirmed presence of armed civilians in the streets. They do not respond to any questions and seem to wait for noone know what. Certainly they are arabs, probably Iraqis , and are only detached from the still open hotels. This includes the “palestine” where they have their general headquarters all the journalists of the most important press.
Between 8pm and 9 I have a telephone appointment with l’ “Andalus” (bombings and telephone lines allowing)
Later.
P.S Thaks to all who wrote to my mail. Contrary to yesterday I find many messages interesting and they please me to read and reply…..




translated in a rush by  twigdip@yahoo.com