MATW’s second Medical Team safe and sound in Baghdad 

Bert De Belder 

Dr. Harrie Dewitte and Dr. Claire Geraets, Medical Aid for the Third World’s (MATW) second Medical Team, reached Baghdad this morning at 11 a.m. (Belgian time) after a trip that went faster and less troublesome than anticipated. Last night at 9 p.m., they arrived in Damascus, Syria and proceeded immediately with a hired taxi to Baghdad. At 1 a.m. Harrie sent an SMS to his wife saying that they were already on Iraqi territory and that they would try to take a short nap.  

Along the way Harrie and Claire saw the traces of this war’s destruction. They had to drive around bomb craters twice. They passed some trucks that were still burning after a recent air attack—a frightening sight. The taxi also had to pass some Iraqi checkpoints, which was not much of a problem as they had an official endorsement from the Iraqi embassy in Brussels. 

Unexpectedly they also met a checkpoint of the American occupation army. According to Harrie and Claire it was a small group of less than 15 soldiers. “Four of them were heavily armed,” Geert told me later on the phone, “like Robocops or Rambos, with heavy machine guns and high-tech communication equipement.” But according to Harrie and Claire the Rambos were ill at ease, looking around anxiously. 

The American soldiers tried to persuade the Medical Team not to proceed to Baghdad to support the Iraqi resistance. “It is extremely dangerous over there,” they said, “there’s heavy fighting going on.” As Harrie and Claire persisted and defended the legitimacy and the necessity of their medical mission, they were allowed to proceed. They reached Baghdad without further disturbance. Paraphrasing the American and British war propaganda we could say: “Our team was able to break through enemy lines, advancing to the center of Baghdad without meeting any significant resistance.” 

Claire and Harrie enjoyed a well-deserved shower and quick nap in their hotel in Baghdad. Together with Colette and Geert, they will deliver the 80 kilograms of antibiotics and surgical supplies to the Iraqi Ministry of Health and the Iraqi Red Crescent so it can be used to treat the hundreds of civilian casualties of this war of aggression. They will also assess the medical needs and evaluate, in consultation with the home front, further opportunities for MATW’s Medical Team in Baghdad. One thing is already certain: we will continue!