Iraq Expells Some Peace Activists

The Cincinnati Enquirer ^ | April 1, 2003 | Kristina Goetz, The cincinnati Enquirer

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http://enquirer.com/editions/2003/03/31/loc_gish31.html

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They went for a stroll without supervision and took pictures of sensitive bomb damage!

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Shjould read= expels, not expells. My mistake.

[kcvl]

Monday, March 31, 2003
Iraq expels Ohioan, peace activists

Group went out in Baghdad without 'minder'

By Kristina Goetz
The Cincinnati Enquirer


Iraqi officials expelled 12 peace activists from the country on Saturday, including an Athens, Ohio, woman.

Peggy Gish was one of seven members of Christian Peacemaker Teams, a Chicago-based group that has been placing violence-reduction teams in conflict areas around the world since 1993.



http://enquirer.com/editions/2003/03/31/loc_gish31.html

[kcvl]

Peggy Gish

People ask me if I am afraid. I have to say “yes.” I don’t want to die. I want to come home to Art and the boys and all my family and friends. But I also am willing to risk dying if my being here can help to prevent thousands of people from dying and suffering war here or elsewhere, in the next countries on Bush’s agenda. I believe it is important that thousands of us be willing to die, not because dying is important, but so that we are able to take the risks it takes to so strongly say “no” to war, that governments lose the support for these wars, and there are no people left to fight them.

It is especially important that people of conscience act boldly to declare a gospel of peace…or Christianity loses its soul. I have no doubt I was called here, and that the work is important. I am hoping that soon we will get to the place where the war is canceled or put off into the future, and then I will come home.

[kcvl]

Are We Dupes?
by Peggy Gish

BAGHDAD (EC) — “How do you know you aren’t just being dupes of the Iraqi government?” This is a question that I have been asked by various U.S. citizens. I interpret the question to imply that anyone coming on a peace mission like the one I am participating in, even though well intentioned, could easily be used or manipulated for the Iraqi’s government’s purposes, would be mainly fed propaganda, or even potentially be taken as some kind of hostage.

It is assumed that the government tightly controls what we see, who we talk to, and what we hear.

We are quick to share that Christian Peacemaker Teams purpose in coming to Iraq is not to support either U.S. or Iraqi government policies, but to be with and understand what the Iraqi people are experiencing since the Gulf War, the twelve years of devastating sanctions, and, now, as they face a new assault. It is also our hope to live among the Iraqi people, give voice the “voiceless” here in our writing and reporting back home and to dispel the image of the Iraqi people as being our “enemy.” But we also need to say, yes, we don’t have full control of what we do while here, of the effects of our stay, how people perceive us or how it could be interpreted. These are the same possibilities that we face whenever we take an unpopular stand working for peace and justice in our own country. There are no guarantees.

[ambrose]

A bunch of useful idiots have suddenly found themselves no longer useful.

[whadizit]

Wouldn't you think the CIA would "embed" one of theirs with the activists?

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I find it incredible that they thought they could just stroll on down to a sensitive (to Iraqi Regime) spot and take photos!

[Brad’s Gramma]

I want to come home to Art and the boys

Peggy, I have the feeling.....just a hunch here....that Art and the boys are sorta happy when you're not home. Like I said, just a hunch.

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Wouldn't you think the CIA would "embed" one of theirs with the activists? 7 posted on 03/31/2003 11:25 PM PST by whadizit [

Oh, I don't know..these peace activists don't seem to be very bright. They would prolly tell their "minder", "you know, were spying on you, is tyhat ok?"

[BossLady]

"I am hoping that soon we will get to the place where the war is canceled"

Yeah....let's just call it off....cancel it all......just like your passport there Peggy.....

[kcvl]

lol!

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Wouldn't you think the CIA would "embed" one of theirs with the activists?

If they did, they did a good job.

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pinging

[freepy smurf]

They just can't endear themselves to anyone, can they?

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They just can't endear themselves to anyone, can they? 15 posted on 04/01/2003 4:37 PM PST by freepy smurf (Time wounds all heels

Well, they thought they could just saunder on down to the bombing damage and start taking photos. And not only that, but they left their "post". a ha ha hha.

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ping