BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
X-WR-CALNAME:www.indybay.org
PRODID:-//indybay/ical// v1.0//EN
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:Indybay-56123
SEQUENCE:56123
CREATED:20050128T004000Z
DESCRIPTION:Global Exchange and CODEPINK present…  What’s Really Happening in Iraq  
 Report-Back from Humanitarian Aid Mission That Delivered Over $650,000 in 
 Aid to Falluja Refugees  WHEN: 7 pm, Tuesday, February 8   WHERE: New 
 College Theatre, 777 Valencia Street, Mission District of San Francisco  
 WHAT: Hear from military family members whose sons died while fighting in 
 the Iraq and Global Exchange and CODEPINK co-founder Medea Benjamin 
 report-back from their unprecedented trip to Jordan and the Iraqi border. 
 The Families for Peace delegation delivered over $650,000 worth of medical 
 and humanitarian aid for the thousands of refugees, mostly women and 
 children, made homeless by the U.S. attack on Falluja in November. While 
 the delegation was not able to enter Iraq because of deteriorating 
 security, they did meet in Jordan with the Iraqi health team in charge of 
 their donations, dozens of human rights, women’s and humanitarian aid 
 organizations based both in Iraq and Jordan and with Iraqis who have been 
 victimized by the war.   During their week-long visit, the delegation heard 
 allegations from Iraqis of US atrocities that made Abu Ghraib seem like 
 childish pranks: a woman raped in full view of other prisoners, who is now 
 seeking permission from religious leaders to kill herself; a seven-year-old 
 girl, left momentarily in the car while her father stopped at the market, 
 screaming and clawing at the window while a US tank crushed the vehicle; a 
 mother watching in horror as the troops raided her home in the middle of 
 the night, shot her son in the chest and then stomped on him as he bled to 
 death.     In Falluja alone, thousands of civilians were killed in one 
 brutal week. The delegates saw gruesome pictures of bodies burned beyond 
 recognition, limbs eaten by dogs because anyone trying to retrieve the dead 
 was shot. A young Iraqi woman who risked her life taking our humanitarian 
 aid to those too old and infirm to flee was still traumatized by 
 devastation she witnessed.    “With all the Iraqis have suffered during 
 this war and occupation, it’s amazing the tolerance and gratitude they 
 have shown us. We’re thrilled that our aid has been able to save lives 
 and help children, but the most important thing is to end this abusive 
 occupation that has brought so much death and suffering to both sides,” 
 said Fernando Suarez of Escondido, CA, whose son Jesus was a marine who 
 died in Iraq on March 27, 2003.  $5 Suggested donation, no one turned away 
 for lack of funds  Sponsors: Global Exchange, CODEPINK: Women for Peace, 
 New College Center for Education and Social Action and Middle East 
 Children\'s Alliance  To get more information, please visit 
 http://www.globalexchange.org or http://www.codepinkalert.org or call 
 Global Exchange at 415.255.7296        \n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2005/01/27/56123.php
SUMMARY:What’s Really Happening in Iraq
LOCATION:777 Valencia Street  Mission District of San Francisco
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2005/01/27/56123.php
DTSTART:20050209T030000Z
DTEND:20050209T050000Z
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR
