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Everything happened normally; his prayers and Providence helped. I am happy to have been able to do this trip together with Bruno Cadoré, my Provincial, and thus to be able to show our solidarity to our brothers in Iraq, their families, their friends, after months of undergoing experiences of every kind. We also wanted to talk with them about the future. 

The trip was really short: a week in total, including transfers. We left Amman by road on Saturday the 23^rd of August around one a.m. in an expedition of several vehicles, big taxis, Chevrolet type, who left us in Iraq’s border at 4:30 a.m. There, the first surprise: There are no formalities to enter Iraq, no Visa, no identification, or control of the identity. There is not a record of any kind, not even a computer; they just sealed our passports under the indifferent look of two American GI. Which means that anyone can enter Iraq, including those who cause troubles like Al Qaeda, who might very well be the origin of one of the recent and serious attacks. On our way back we will see the Jordan carefully watching who enters their country from Iraq, rejecting many of the candidates. The 6-lane high way, that goes from the border to Baghdad it has been slightly damaged, except for a part where a bridge was bombed. But drivers, fearing robberies, when we were getting closer to Baghdad, they took the old road via Fallouja and Ramadi. We reached Baghdad at 10 a.m.: my record, for the tenth time I traveled this distance!

The arrival to Baghdad is also a shock: a complete chaos. Imagine a city of 6 million inhabitants where traffic lights do not work, there are no, or barely no police and there is no army. The damages caused by American bombardments are less important than those caused by the posterior pillages that burnt and devastated all what reminded from Saddam’s State: ministries, banks, administration… Imported cars from neighboring countries massively invade the city, since there are no customs. Baghdad has become a dangerous city where nobody dares go out at night. Suddenly, between the border and the arrival to the capital city we have realized that there is no State in Iraq. American forces seem to be, specially, busy with military operations in order to wipe out the old regime and it seems that they have done very little for the country’s reconstruction. Certainly there is a kind of Iraqi police, but it is still little visible.

At our arrival, we found one of our brothers mourning his young brother who was a cook at UN facilities. The family, which we immediately visit, had to wait 6 days to recover the corpse! Militaries call it “collateral damage”. Saad’s wife was worn out, as well as his brothers, who many of them had been already involved in Iran’s war, in years of compulsory military service, and in the embargo too. At the same time, a great deal of dignity. A beautiful familiar solidarity is the proof. How much suffering in simple and plain Iraqi people! 

In the afternoon, I meet again one of my Iraqi friends, Wisam, a young Christian Chaldean very much committed with his Church. As he speaks Italian, he volunteered as interpreter during and after the attacks at the Italian Red Cross hospital, which did an excellent emergency work by recovering people burnt, sometimes seriously burnt. We also found other NGO during our stay: in the middle of this suffering there is also solidarity, generosity, value. They are necessary, because daily life is difficult. The numerous electricity cuts prevent the air conditionings from working, even the fans, while it is 45 degrees centigrade under the shadow. It is awful!

We slept in the terrace where we were comfortable. On the floor some lost bullets shot by some neighbors to express their happiness because of the announcement of Quadai and Qusai’s deaths. We woke up only due to the noise of some American choppers that control the area. Reconstruction is easier than before, but many State employees are needed, who lost their jobs. Saddam’s huge portraits always omnipresent have been torn down. Population is much more relaxed with the recovery of freedom. There are around 130 opinion newspapers open after the fall of the regime. Roofs are covered with parabolic antennas until now forbidden: there is nothing but the reverse of the prior situation.    

On Sunday 24^th we took Mossoul route where lays our second community. Approximately 300 kilometers covered with huge military camps, today abandoned. What has not been bombarded, it has been burnt or pillaged. The semi-destroyed tanks and armored cars were obstructing the entrances to these camps, giving a weird impression after the battle. We found many convoys: military American convoys very protected that make possible the tremendous logistics that comprises a 140,000 men army, petrol convoys coming from Turkey to Iraq exporting their raw oil; convoys of imported vehicles from neighboring countries taking advantage of the lack of customs. All this protected by heavily armed GI, 18 to 20 year-old guys, clearly inexperienced, probably terrified by this hostile world, from which they know neither the language, nor the culture. “We’ve got quite a lot of money”, says the young military man I found at the border. It can be true, but between 10 and 15 convoys are attacked each day according to CNN’s American military spokesman.  

At Mossoul, we are happy to find our brothers healthy; they have suffered less than in Baghdad; their convent recently renewed is now a wonderful place. However, a grenade exploded in the house next door a week ago, while North American soldiers, accompanied by their chaplain, were attending Mass at our Church. Luckily, no damages were registered. It is not easy to find the exact relationship with the coalition forces: they are occupiers, but at the same time the only organized force that exists at present. The Dominican Sisters, to which we visited, experienced also the attack with a rocket in the novices’ bedroom, but it did not hurt anybody. What did they want to break down? What the Sisters represent or the beverages shop at the ground floor of the building? It is necessary to be very calm and take some distance not to fall in typical explanations such as: “Muslims wickedness” who doesn’t like Christians, etc. Easy to say, from the distance. Twelve years of embargo have challenged everybody’s nerves, and it is also true that some old devils can be easily woken up. However, Mossoul seems to be ruled by a municipal council where the traditional chiefs of the city sit down (Christians, Muslims, Kurds…) USA choppers fly above Mossoul constantly, where many think Saddam is hiding, disguised as Imam wearing a white beard. Gossips? We commented among us the opportunity that would mean the 25 million dollar reward: there are so many people here to be helped, who live in misery!     

Together with our brothers we posed future challenges: how to maintain people’s hope, how to feed the debate in a society that is about to be built, how to foster reconciliation to avoid the gear of violence worsens people’s misfortune. Iraqi Christians, who are not more than 3% of the population, can play a very positive role beyond their numerical value. It is important to support them, but also to dare find “the other one”: Chiita leaders from Najaf, for instance, who we should avoid treating them as devils. Of course, they have invited the Bishops. It is going to be interesting to receive some news of this meeting, to which any other Bishop rejected to attend.

The encounters with brothers and sisters and their families leave us little time for other activities. Anyway, it is not a time for strolling in the present Iraq, where no foreigner perambulates. But it would be good to meet more people in order to get the real picture and assess the possibilities of leading a situation which seems, at present, catastrophic: Iraqi intellectuals, traditional local authorities, UN and NGO people (we met some), American military people, foreign journalists. One of them, who has followed up all the war, alerts us about a not so clear matter: the take of Baghdad airport, where a new weapon had been used, similar to the neutron bomb, that might have killed all types of lives (men and animals) in a radio of several kilometers, without damaging the bodies or the facilities. The press was kept during several days many kilometers away: time for “wiping out”? If this verified, how many questions are posed about morality and the methods of such a war!

Half way between Baghdad and Mossoul we saw a portrait of Saddam not only destroyed but also transformed: children playing at the shore of Tigris river.

It seems urgent that the international community gets involved once again in Iraq’s reconstruction so that it becomes a reality and does not remain as a dream. Iraq cannot be abandoned. Four of our young brothers, three Iraqi and a French are going to reinforce our communities in September. A good sign of our confidence in the future, in spite of the present situation. 

El Cairo, August 30^th 2003

(a courtesy of CIDAL)