I bombardamenti sono la forma čeggiore di terrorismo. la morte, la distruzione e traumi che dureranno tutta la vita sono le conseguenze della guerra. E non si libera la gente uccidendola. E se i soldati avessero giocato a scaccchi, come abbiamo fatto noi, con gli iracheni, forse avrebbero scoperto che nessuno avrebbe voluto la guerra.
Una lettera aperta per i soldati anglo americani, scritta da una pacifista dell'Iraq peace team.
Un contributo prezioso al lavoro di raccolta delle corrispondenze da Bagdad č la traduzione, anche solo di brani, aggiunta nei commenti. Grazie a tutti

Open letter to all Americans and our "allies" the Brits
Cynthia Banas, Iraq Peace Team

7 April 2003

The Iraq Peace Team has had discussions on the matter of how to meet our fellow Americans as they invade Baghdad to "liberate" the Iraqi people. If I happen to have the opportunity to talk with them, this is what I would say:

I am grateful that you were not killed or wounded, but I am sorrowful that many young people serving in the military of the United States, Iraq, and Britain have been killed or wounded. Every young person in every country should have the opportunity to have a chance to grow old naturally and not be murdered in his or her youth by war.

Most American civilians have never experienced being bombed. We, the members of the Iraq Peace Team -- civilians from the United States, Canada, Australia, Korea, and Italy -- have spent weeks besieged under constant bombardment from United States and British pilots.

Bombing is the worst kind of terror and should be outlawed by all "civilized" people. Death, destruction, maiming, and lifetime trauma are the consequences of war. We have witnessed children frightened beyond their years, and have seen their mangled bodies in the hospital. War for them will never end.

I remember well December 7th, 1941 when Japan attacked the United States. I was 12 years old. On Monday December 8th I walked to the one-room schoolhouse where my teacher, Miss Grant, told us that her two cousins and brothers had gone down on the Arizona. My older brother and sister joined the Navy to defend our country because another country was attacking us.

I would ask you, the young soldiers, did someone tell you that Iraq had attacked our country or had threatened to attack our country? The truth is Iraq has not attacked our country nor threatened to attack our country. Just like the Vietnamese, the Iraqi people are defending their homeland against the American invaders. Vietnam also never threatened to attack, and in fact never did attack America.

Perhaps some of you were members of the Model United Nations Association when you were in high school and/or college not so many years ago. If so, you will understand that the United States has violated several Articles of the Preamble to and the Charter of the United Nations in its unwarranted attack upon Iraq.

Many of you young folks know that the environment of our home planet is in dire straits and we need all the constructive ideas, gifts, skills, and intelligence of people worldwide to save our planet and its people.

We do not liberate people by killing and bombing them.

If you had been with us for the last several months instead of training for war, you would have come to know that the Iraqi people are just as precious as you are to your family and friends. You would be playing soccer, chess, and backgammon with them and realizing that nobody wants war.

Please think about these words and know that the world, your world, for you are the young, is at a historic point. Either we will all learn to live in peace with one another, or there will be war for many, many more years.

Of course the United States will be the victor. How can we not help but be when one glances at the wealth spent on weapons. The United States has budgeted $586 billion for 2003 and Iraq $1 billion.

But the reality is that although in the United States many "win," there will be no winners in this war.

Peace to you all,

Cynthia Banas