Resistance and… fun with Geert in Baghdad. 

“Last night there were heavy aerial bombings. Deafening explosions, sometimes very near. A communication center was hit, but not the central Saddam tower. For three days we cannot send or receive e-mails anymore and we cannot call, although others can call us. 

Yesterday Colette and me went into the city. Life resumed after the sandstorm and there were lots of people in the souks, on the market and at the bus stops. 

Gazhwan, an Iraqi friend, maintains that the Americans will never be able to take Baghdad. The US troops are already facing massive resistance while the Iraqi elite forces haven’t even been brought into action. But the most important factor in the resistance is the Iraqi people. Today, Dr. Colette Moulaert and me visited a blood bank. Some fifteen women had just given blood. They were mobilized by the principal of a school who had brought her friends from their neighborhood. “This is our modest contribution to the defense of our country,” said Zahra, a 40-year old women. “But we, the women, will also participate in the military defense of Baghdad,” she added, “Last year we were trained in target shooting and we all have a kalashnikov at home. Some of us even know how to operate an RPG-7 grenade launcher.” 

Although our visit to the blood bank was unannounced, we also met with the director. He testified about the effects of twelve years of embargo on health services: “There are severe shortages in reagents for blood typing and to test blood for the presence of hepatitis virus although there is no military use for these chemicals.” The blood bank has only one centrifuge at its disposal. “We had to use the parts of the other machines to keep this one operational,” explained the director, “We were not allowed to import spare parts because of the embargo.” 

Tomorrow morning I’ll give a teleconference in the Philippines. Tonight Colette and me will give a lecture for the media called “Baghdad: medical and humanitarian crisis.” I added a sentence to the invitation to draw the attention: “After the lecture, free medical check-up for journalists. Free medical advice on smoking, drinking and lack of… (you know what!).” Even the assistant director of the Ministry of Information, who is always dead serious, burst out laughing!”