Message from a Human Shield in Baghdad

Iraqi people are furious of the US bombing of Bagdad, reports Cihan Keskek, a musician from Turkish protest music group Grup Yorum.

For the time being everyone around is very motivated and hopeful. On Monday a bomb dropped from an American plane hit two farm houses located 400-500 away from Daura Oil Refinery where we stay and destroyed a family of five, Kesk says.

Tomorrow we will take flowers to the house to commemorate the dead. We sometimes visit the hospital, see the wounded and the children.

Currently 17 human shields from other parts of the world, of whom 3 are from Turkey, remain in Baghdad Keskek says. They are from United States, Britain, Spain, South Africa, Germany Australia and Turkey.

6 of the human shields stay in South Bagdat power station, 2 in Daura power station, and 6 in Madain Water Treatment Plant.

The first day of bombing was eventful and difficult, Keskek recalls. One gets used to living with the noise from bombing.

Iraqi people have lived through this for 10 years. Here, the poverty and suffering caused by the war and embargo in the last 10 years is immense, he observes. (EK)