top
Indybay
Indybay
Indybay
Indybay
Indybay
Regions
Indybay Regions North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area California United States International Americas Haiti Iraq Palestine Afghanistan
Topics
Newswire
Features
From the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature

Americans Cross Iraq Desert for Peace

by .
.
Americans Walk for Peace Across Iraq Desert

Sanctions-Defying Walk To Raise Funds For Cancer-Stricken Iraqi Children

Atlanta—On May 22nd 20 Americans embarked in a journey the desert to dramatize the need for the US and the international community to ‘go the extra mile’ in averting the all-out war threatened by the Bush Administration.   “The 23 million people of Iraq have suffered cruelly for a dozen years under US bombing and sanctions. It is time to end this failed policy, not to start a new war,” says Dr. James. E. Jennings of the Compassion Iraq Coalition, which is organizing the Walk for Peace.  “Washington readily spends millions on defense, but not one cent for diplomacy.  Why not talk?”

The Walk begins May 24th when the delegation will cross the desert into Iraq at the Jordanian border carrying signs calling for an end to the sanctions.  For the next six days they will walk from the Euphrates River to Baghdad, stopping
to meet and talk with people in the towns of Rutba, Ramadi and Falluja.  Each walker has received pledges for every mile walked, with proceeds going to the Pediatric Oncology ward at the Basra Children’s Hospital.   According to press
reports, the Basra region has experienced a 242% increase in childhood cancers and leukemia that many experts link to depleted uranium (DU) contamination resulting from US bombing during the Gulf War.

PEACE WALK to Baghdad
The Compassion Iraq Coalition is comprised of volunteers from a dozen US cities, including Seattle, Denver, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington, Philadelphia, New York and Boston.   The PEACE WALK  is co-led by Jennings and Kathy Kelly, Director of Voices in the Wilderness.  Jennings, President of Conscience International, led
the 2001 Baghdad Airlift, the first American civilian delegation to fly to Iraq in defiance of the US/UK imposed so-called “No-Fly Zone.”  Kelly is widely known as a leader of the anti-sanctions movement and has led several humanitarian
missions to Iraq.

CONTACT: Compassion Iraq Coalition
May 15-20: Kathy Kelly, kkelly [at] igc.org
773-784-8065
cell 773-447-3964
Jason Adams (Morgan's brother)
360-866-4679

After May 17th: Jennifer Horan, jenniferhoran22 [at] hotmail.com
Cell  617-784-1785

OR

After May 20: Voices in the Wilderness Office: info [at] vitw.org
773-784-8065
For additional sanctions-related information go to:
http://www.nonviolence.org/vitw
Add Your Comments

Comments (Hide Comments)
by Betty
Enjoy the "Peace Walk" Be careful of the snipers, landmines, death squads, and miltant hate groups dying to kill anybody from America. Give them a flower as they rape and mutilate you.
by junknira
Are you talking about US mines, snipers, etc??? We did in fact give Iraq weapons not too long ago. That is not the point though, these folks are doing something quite honorable and thoughtful and your statement is ignorant and cruel. Shame on you. Get off the computer and go take a look at the statistics concerning the effects of our imposed sanctions, then you might possibly understand, one can only hope.
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!

Donate

$220.00 donated
in the past month

Get Involved

If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.

Publish

Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.

IMC Network