“U.S. hasn’t won the ‘battle for the hearts and minds’ yet!” 

Bert De Belder 

“Today, our Medical Team stayed at the Saddam Center for Plastic Surgery. As far as we know that is the only hospital that is still functioning rather normally. One of the reasons is that the British cameraman Geert treated is confined there. We have been able to interview the hospital director extensively and could finally hand over the medicines and surgical supplies we brought. At least we are sure that they’ll be put to good use.

Probably two of us, Colette and me, will try to leave Baghdad to accompany the British patient during his repatriation and return to Belgium. The two other doctors, Claire and Geert, will remain as Medical Aid for the Third World’s Medical Team in Iraq. They can work at the Saddam Center for Plastic Surgery, which in fact serves as a general hospital for war casualties.

They’ll be able to assess the incredible breakdown of health care, education, nutrition and child care brought about by the American-British war of aggression. Maybe they’ll be able to size up the situation down south, or in the outskirts of Baghdad where the destruction by the aerial bombings was worst. Finally, they want to report about the people’s resistance against the American occupation because every day we are hearing more echoes about that. Definitely, the U.S. hasn’t won the ‘battle for the hearts and minds’ yet!”