Musician, activist and poet Michael Franti left Baghdad yesterday. The lead singer of Spearhead is on a two-week peace mission to Iraq, Jordan and Israel, visiting bomb sites, hospitals, women centers, universities, radio stations, cultural centers, social justice organizations and refugee camps in Amman, Baghdad, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Nablus, Jayyous, Bethlehem and the Gaza Strip. Michael is also reporting for Democracy Now! and filming a documentary.
Here is an excerpt from Michael's diary:
I addressed the troops and told them I knew things were tough for them, that I knew they were facing a long haul ahead of them and that I wished them all safety in their journey. I told a few funny stories to break the ice about my time breaking down on the side of the road in the hot summer sun of Italy. after that I spoke about the war, I told them that it was difficult and confusing to understand how this whole occupation will end. that we were told it was about WMD's and sadaams links to terrorism, and these turned out to be untrue. I said you all have offered up your lives for your country and the least the rest of us could do in return was to not ask you to kill or be killed in a war that is under questionable circumstances. then I sang the song bomb the world...You can support this project of peace and understanding by making a tax-deductible donation to Spearhead's non-profit organization, Power To The Peaceful Fund.
...they cheered and afterward I hugged each of them and spent many more hours talking to them all about their time there, where they were from and what they though to the war, some thought it was their duty to follow their commander in chief no matter what. others thought they were fighting a loosing battle to win the hearts and trust of the Iraqi people (this is an understatement) others thought the war was ill conceived to begin with and they felt like they were the pawns in a big game of chess. every soldier I spoke to wanted to come home right now.
I gave the book I had been reading "house of bush, house of saud" to the sergeant in charge of the soldiers we were with. he was very, I emphasize very interested in reading about bush's family business connections to the Saudi royal family and especially interested in why bush allowed the Bin Laden family to fly out of America after 911 without being questioned while all other planes were grounded.
Make checks payable to:
Power to the Peaceful
3470 19th St
San Francisco, CA 94110
