Seoul_to

I just got done checking my email. I got an email from Ann (thanks!), regarding Ryan Clancy, an old PCV (peace corps volunteer). He's currently on the border of Iraq, but was inside for some time attempting to protest the war. I feel rather compelled to pass on this email to all of you. It nearly put me to tears. Why does the big bad US/Bush feel that war is warranted? And....I would like to point out that Ryan also states specifically that what the media portrays about Iraq isn't reality at all. Once again, things are a BIT mis-represented. Anyhow....read the email. It may touch you like it did me.

Hi all-

I have tried to send several e-mails to you all from in Baghdad, but have not received any replies. As I anticipated, aol.com is one of the sites blocked in Iraq, and our small server seemed plagued by technical problems. You may reply to this, as I will attempt to spend several days here in Amman, after I get well and get some supplies, and can check this with some frequency.
I'm not sure what to cover, as I'm not sure what (if anything) got through from here, but I'll just babble a little. Please do not pay attention to the large media outlets - they're providing a wholly inaccurate picture of what's going on, and will likely start to seriously attack us soon.

It's tough to provide anything comprehemsive, but the personal encounters speak to me the most - playing soccer in the street with kids, meeting people randomly, and being invied to their homes for tea or a meal... I'm constantly humbled and overwhelmed by the hospitality and kindness shown to me, despite being from a country about to
bomb this pround culture "back into the stone age" again.

I am proud to be an American, but sickened, appalled and guilty by what my country has done to this one. There is still depleted uranium here from the gulf war, and the sanctions prevent hospitals from getting the medicine needed to treat radiation poisoning. I remember 1991... I had a persuasive speech due in Mrs Santlli's English class the morning after we started bombing Baghdad; I was afraid that the returning US troops would be treated like those from Vietnam, and wrote an impassioned plea that we should support them.

If Rumsfield can be believed, I expect a much less cordial homecoming if I return; he has said that we are helping the Iraquis breach the Geneva convention. (I was of course surprised that he had ever read that document; perhaps he's selective in his interpretations.) In any case, I do hope to return. The patriot act will give the government
the right to hold me indefinately without representation or counsel. So send some care packages to Guantanamo if ya don't hear from me again.

What else? Two days ago, I visited a few schools near my site. At the secondary school, I asked a class to write a brief letter to their American counterparts. One wrote, "We want peace more than anything. We like the American people. Why don't you like us?" One wanted to be a doctor, quickly, so he could help wounded people, but lamented the lack of medicine. Many, sadly, have come to equate the current regime with peace, and Bush with war. As innacurate as this is, that perception is
very much our fault, and the more we posture for war, the firmer thecurrent regime is cemented. It is madness.

We are often asked why we appear to be supporting the current regime. We are not. I'm here to support a civillian population that will be devatated by a war which, published or not, aims at civillian infrastructure. I am deployed at a food storage facility, and one checked out and cleared by the UN. It is not a valid military target by
an stretch, but it may very well be targeted. And I fear the US troops more than the bombs.

I do not support the regime currently in place here. Likewise, I do not support the regime currently in place in my own country, but there's no way that I would support any foreign power pulling Bush from power (even from where I'm standing now.) It's not their call, and it's not our call to remove or support governments based on our political
whims at the time.

We are setting a dangerous precedent if (when) we attack Iraq again. We are setting two criteria for a valid target: possession of weapons of mass destruction, and political disagreement. We most certainly have those weapons, and we most certainly have political enemies, too. If we attack now, we lose any moral high ground that we once had, and I fear greatly for our planet.

At the elementary school, I asked the kids to draw their homes and families. I'm always amused by the conventionof using green crayons to represent grass, even in homes in the desert. One boy drew a house, a family (himself included) all smling broadly, and a cruise missile aimed squarely at his house.

There is no proper reaction to such a picture. I praised the drawing of the tree, apologized for my country, and cried when I got back to where I was staying.

That's all I can think of for now. I'm safe, and well, and hope to see you all soon.

-Ryan

Seoul_to_Soul
		~ Thursday, March 06, 2003 I just got done checking my email. I got an email from Ann (thanks!), regarding Ryan Clancy, an old PCV (peace corps volunteer). He's currently on the border of Iraq, but was inside for some time attempting to protest the war. I feel rather compelled to pass on this email to all of you. It nearly put me to tears. Why does the big bad US/Bush feel that war is warranted? And....I would like to point out that Ryan also states specifically that what the media portrays about Iraq isn't reality at all. Once again, things are a BIT mis-represented. Anyhow....read the email. It may touch you like it did me. Hi all- I have tried to send several e-mails to you all from in Baghdad, but have not received any replies. As I anticipated, aol.com is one of the sites blocked in Iraq, and our small server seemed plagued by technical problems. You may reply to this, as I will attempt to spend several days here in Amman, after I get well and get some supplies, and can check this with some frequency. I'm not sure what to cover, as I'm not sure what (if anything) got through from here, but I'll just babble a little. Please do not pay attention to the large media outlets - they're providing a wholly inaccurate picture of what's going on, and will likely start to seriously attack us soon. It's tough to provide anything comprehemsive, but the personal encounters speak to me the most - playing soccer in the street with kids, meeting people randomly, and being invied to their homes for tea or a meal... I'm constantly humbled and overwhelmed by the hospitality and kindness shown to me, despite being from a country about to bomb this pround culture "back into the stone age" again. I am proud to be an American, but sickened, appalled and guilty by what my country has done to this one. There is still depleted uranium here from the gulf war, and the sanctions prevent hospitals from getting the medicine needed to treat radiation poisoning. I remember 1991... I had a persuasive speech due in Mrs Santlli's English class the morning after we started bombing Baghdad; I was afraid that the returning US troops would be treated like those from Vietnam, and wrote an impassioned plea that we should support them. If Rumsfield can be believed, I expect a much less cordial homecoming if I return; he has said that we are helping the Iraquis breach the Geneva convention. (I was of course surprised that he had ever read that document; perhaps he's selective in his interpretations.) In any case, I do hope to return. The patriot act will give the government the right to hold me indefinately without representation or counsel. So send some care packages to Guantanamo if ya don't hear from me again. What else? Two days ago, I visited a few schools near my site. At the secondary school, I asked a class to write a brief letter to their American counterparts. One wrote, "We want peace more than anything. We like the American people. Why don't you like us?" One wanted to be a doctor, quickly, so he could help wounded people, but lamented the lack of medicine. Many, sadly, have come to equate the current regime with peace, and Bush with war. As innacurate as this is, that perception is very much our fault, and the more we posture for war, the firmer thecurrent regime is cemented. It is madness. We are often asked why we appear to be supporting the current regime. We are not. I'm here to support a civillian population that will be devatated by a war which, published or not, aims at civillian infrastructure. I am deployed at a food storage facility, and one checked out and cleared by the UN. It is not a valid military target by an stretch, but it may very well be targeted. And I fear the US troops more than the bombs. I do not support the regime currently in place here. Likewise, I do not support the regime currently in place in my own country, but there's no way that I would support any foreign power pulling Bush from power (even from where I'm standing now.) It's not their call, and it's not our call to remove or support governments based on our political whims at the time. We are setting a dangerous precedent if (when) we attack Iraq again. We are setting two criteria for a valid target: possession of weapons of mass destruction, and political disagreement. We most certainly have those weapons, and we most certainly have political enemies, too. If we attack now, we lose any moral high ground that we once had, and I fear greatly for our planet. At the elementary school, I asked the kids to draw their homes and families. I'm always amused by the conventionof using green crayons to represent grass, even in homes in the desert. One boy drew a house, a family (himself included) all smling broadly, and a cruise missile aimed squarely at his house. There is no proper reaction to such a picture. I praised the drawing of the tree, apologized for my country, and cried when I got back to where I was staying. That's all I can think of for now. I'm safe, and well, and hope to see you all soon. -Ryan posted by ~B~ at 8:13 PM