Little room in the trench as Baghdad father heeds Saddam call

AFP/Jordan Times ^ | Friday-Saturday, March 7-8, 2003 | Unknown/AFP

[Pro-Bush]

Little room in the trench as Baghdad father heeds Saddam call

(Go to link to view picture)

Iraqi Mustafa Mohammad, 13, wearing a World War II gas mask, plays with his sister Haya in a trench shored up by sandbags and bricks at their home garden in a Baghdad residential suburb on Thursday (photo by Patrick BAZ/AFP)

BAGHDAD (AFP) — As his children play soldiers using a second-hand gas mask, Mohammad Jawad points to a shallow, makeshift trench in his garden in a Baghdad suburb.

“After the president's appeal, I had workmen come here who dug a trench in three hours,” he explained.

The trench, shored up by sandbags and bricks, is big enough for his son and three daughters who will hide there if and when the long-threatened US-led war begins in earnest.

Unfortunately, it is not big enough for Jawad and his wife.

“There's no room for my wife and myself. But the children's lives are more important,” he explains. His wife nods in agreement.

Jawad was one of those who responded to a call by President Saddam Hussein last month for Iraqis to dig trenches in their garden to protect themselves if the United States attacks.

“Why take risks when every citizen can dig a trench in his garden?” Saddam asked at a meeting with the heads of the country's 18 provinces.

“We know it will not be easy for the enemy to arrive at our cities, but it is our duty to prepare for the worst scenarios,” he added.

Saddam told the provincial chiefs to “tell each citizen to take refuge in the trenches with his family during the raids.

“Even if a shell explodes over their house, they are safe in the trenches, above all if they are wearing protective headgear,” the president added.

So Jawad took note, summoning workmen to his modest two-storey house in the Iraqi capital's southern district of Al Qadissiya.

In spite of the threat of looming war, most Iraqis have not taken the steps Jawad has. The most obvious signs of precautions have been people stocking up on basic foodstuffs, medical supplies and bottles of water.

Jawad, a former oil tanker skipper who turned to taxi driving to make ends meet after crippling UN economic sanctions were imposed in 1990, obviously thought it was better to be safe than sorry.

As an extra precaution, he also had a well dug in his garden to try to tap into underground water sources in case fresh supplies are cut off by war.

It has not yet come to that. For now, his son Mustapha and daughters Farah, Rand and Haya, all aged between 10 and 13, take it in turns to shelter in the trench as they play with an old gas mask bought from the local market.

[Pro-Bush]

Searching alternative news and came across this story..Go to the link and check out a picture showing a kid playing in a bunker with a gas mask.

[EggsAckley]

Good find.

Just add them to the "evolution in action" list.

[FairOpinion]

It isn't the US they need to fear, but Saddam releasing his chem/bio weapons on his own people and then try to blame it on the Americans.

[Squantos]

LOL.......Duct Tape......they must have duct tape !!!

Stay Safe

[MetalHeadConservative35]

id guess that when the americans get to baghdad that theyll be handing out water rations and whatever to the civilians
sounds weird i know,but thats one thing the U.N has forgotten the american soldier is one tough mother,but other than that he/she is human and has feeling (and a good heart) it ticks me off to see us blacklisted as evil killers and whatever...personally i think once this business in iraq is dealt with we should tell the U.N it has 30 days to leave if not...well lets just say there wont be much left of the U.N building

[timestax]

“We know it will not be easy for the enemy to arrive at our cities,

a ha ha ha, wanna bet?!

[DontMessWithMyCountry]

Ya' know something, that is what I think he is planning to do. There is something wickedly ominous about this. I bet he is telling them to dig their own graves. They'd be better off staying INSIDE their homes, maybe digging a hole through the floorboards in one room (if they don't have a cellar).

[FairOpinion]

"They'd be better off staying INSIDE their homes"
---

They could probably use some plastic and duct tape.

I hope Saddam won't have the chance to release his chemical and biological weapons.

I really think that the Iraqis will receive the US & UK troops as liberators. They have been living in the worst oppression and fear for many years under Saddam.

[Pro-Bush]

Supply & Demand...As this article points out, Bagdad merchants are selling new and used gas masks on the street. I imagine they are probably available on every other street corner. I wonder why..The Iraqi population know and have been warned about what Saddam has planned once American troops penatrate Bagdad. I would like to see what kind of PSAs Saddam is issuing. The fact that the average family has a bunker and gas mask is pretty horrifying. In my opinion, Saddam will probably be going chemical in the cities, and biological Internationally.

[DontMessWithMyCountry]

I totally agree. And, I meant it when I said that I genuinely fear that that ba*tard's true intention in having those 'trenches' dug is that he is preparing their graves--for when he murders them with chemicals and gas. They have at least a shot at surviving if they stay indoors. Saddam is the epitome of evil; he has murdered millions (between Iran, Kuwait and his own citizens); I believe he will try to murder as many Iraqis as he can before he is blown to pieces. He lives--to kill. What inexplicable horror those parents will feel, if this comes to fruition, when they (thinking they are doing the very best thing) realize that they have set their children in those trenches to die.

[Lucky Lyn]

Fair-Opinion has it right,something seems wrong with
this scene. Whats with this gas mask the Iraqi people
are getting? What has me worried is the fact that Saddam
has all those American and British uniforms, I hope our
military watches this very closly and stops whatever evil
Saddam is up to useing these uniforms.

[The Toad]

A World War II gas mask? LOL.

There is no way that the thing will still work after 60 years. Even if the filters are current, I'd bet particulates would be able to leak into the thing like a sieve.

[timestax]

bump to the top

[section9]

I think I've figured out Saddam's strategy.

He will withdraw his men into the laager. From behind his barriers he will lob artillery shells filled with all sorts of goodies at the Americans. In his mind, we will have no choice but to go in and take him house to house. In his mind, that will allow him to inflict "unacceptable" casualties on us.

Unfortunately for him and the Special Republican Guard, some Americans will have died as a result of exposure. The rest of our Army will hear about it or will have witnessed it. The American people will witness these deaths on their television sets. They will be fighting mad and will want to go right into Baghdad and finish the SRG off to the last man.

I have always underestimated Saddam's stupidity. I should not have.

Be Seeing You,

Chris