Invasion of Iraq remembered
MONDAY, March 20, marked 20 years since former US president George W Bush, with the help of former British prime minister Tony Blair, invaded Iraq.
They did so based on the assumption that Saddam Hussein, then president of Iraq, had weapons of mass destruction that he planned to use. However, no such weapons were ever found.
When thousands of American and allied troops entered Iraq under “Operation Iraqi Freedom”, it led to the fall of Hussein. He was later arrested, put on trial and hanged. In addition, 10 000 to 15 000 people lost their lives.
In 2003, South Africa played an instrumental role in trying to stop the invasion.
Abie Dawjee, who formed the Iraq Action Committee, led a team of 33 South Africans to Iraq as human shields to protect civilian sites like electricity power stations and dams from being bombed.
“The memories of that day are so clear, as though it happened yesterday,” he said. “On March 19, 2003, we landed in Jordan with the team and flew to Baghdad. There were activists from all over the world acting as human shields.
“When we landed in Jordan, George W Bush announced that America would be attacking Iraq and we could not take our flight to Baghdad. Our only option was to travel 600km by bus. The team agreed to travel by bus.”
Dawjee said before leaving he addressed the team.
“I told them not to feel afraid to stay behind. It’s a war zone and there were possibilities that they could get injured and may not have access to food or water or be able to return home. I assured them that none would think less of them if they stayed behind. All 33 members of the group decided to go ahead.”
He said they travelled on a highway to Baghdad.
“There were towns on either side of the highway and they were on fire. We knew we were going straight into the lion’s mouth as we came into Baghdad.
“The sky was lit up with searchlights and planes dropping bombs. It was a surreal site. Totally unbelievable. It was like watching a movie except that we were in that nightmare.”
Dawjee said when they arrived in Baghdad, he allocated people to different sites.
“Some were placed at dams and others at an electricity power site. We had basic accommodation at each of these sites.
“Mohammed Variawa and I were in a flimsy caravan at an oil refinery. If one bomb had fallen there, it would have been over for us.
“Whenever the bombs fell, the ground shook and we were thrown out of our beds and we hid for cover. I cannot tell you the terror we felt. Death was in the air. Over the days as America was about to surround Baghdad, we left.”
Dawjee said they achieved their goal and prevented the sites from being bombed.
“I went to Iraq a few times and I was horrified by what I saw. I took a plane load of medicine supplies with former deputy minister of foreign affairs, Aziz Pahad, and Minister Jeff Radebe.
“These bombings have been the greatest crime against humanity, with thousands of people being killed.”
Another South African who acted as a human shield was advocate Reggie Reddy.
“On the day we left, I was apprehensive, but we, as South Africans, thought we had to make some sort of protest. It was by no means an adventure going to Iraq,” said Reddy, who lives in Durban.
“I remember the night we arrived in Iraq from Jordan, we witnessed a dog fight between helicopters. That’s when we realised that we had to brace ourselves for what was about to come. It was vastly different actually witnessing everything as opposed to imagining it.
“Seeing missiles flying across the night sky was scary for anyone, especially if you’re not in the army. Then seeing buildings exploding in the distance and seeing big balls of flames just added to the seriousness,” said Reddy. Reddy said bombings were endless. “Being there and witnessing the destruction was horrible. Most bombings were done at night, during the day as well, but nights were more common.
“We would go to the hospitals in the morning, and we saw children without hands and legs. It was a terrible situation.
“After hospital runs, we would go on a ‘guided tour’ to see the full effects of the night before. It was amazing to see with what precision America was able to target a building. The bomb cut within the building, through the floors from the roof till the ground, but still had the outer structure of the building stay intact. It was hollow. You could stand on the ground floor and look straight up to the sky,” said Reddy.
“I no longer suffer from the flashbacks, although when I first came back, I did suffer for six months and then it stopped. I would watch CNN 24/7 to see what was happening there.”
Reddy said his view of the situation had changed: “At the time I was opposed to what the American government was doing, but now I think differently. The reality is that Saddam Hussein needed to go by any means necessary. I now feel that the attack was necessary because they were trying to get rid of a dictator. The Iraqi people needed a country without him.”