War witness details Iraqi hardships

In an emotional and moving speech, Agness Bauerlein, a member of the Gulf Peace Team, told of her experiences in Iraq during the allied bombing campaign to an audience of about 45 people last night. Traveling throughout the Middle East as a part of the international peace effort team, Bauerlein said she saw first-hand the effects of the bombardment of Iraq. Bauerlein decided to go to Iraq when the war began in January to bring back to America a "graphic illustration of what the war is all about." "I wanted to bring the reality of the Gulf war back home, and wanted people to realize that human deaths cannot be taken lightly," she said. In her hour-long speech, Bauerlein described in graphic detail the "atrocities" and suffering of the Iraqi people. Bauerlein emphasized that the war wreaked serious havoc on the people of Iraq, adding that she felt saddened because she found the Iraqi people to be the "most hospitable" people she ever met. "The poverty was just immense," she said. "The doctors and nurses could not even wash their hands to treat the wounded. We saw that Iraq was really a third world country. It was poor." Bauerlein also recounted her feelings when the bombings first began. "I woke up one morning at 1:30 a.m. and heard a sound I hadn't heard in 50 years," she said. "It was the drone of bomb-filled airplanes. We then saw the sky over Baghdad light up." She then spoke of how she felt when she returned to the U.S., saying it was a mix of joy and sorrow. "Once I got home, I was happy to see my family, but I began to feel pain, because of the complacency of life that I had become accustomed to," she said. "I feel I am trapped in an excessive lifestyle. It is a real burden for me." Some students, carrying American flags and holding signs which called for American patriotism, tried to engage Bauerlein in debate, questioning her loyalty to the American war efforts. Students called the speech "very moving" and said that, for the most part, they enjoyed it. Most students said her descriptions of the horrific conditions facing the Iraqi people were very disturbing. "It was an emotional presentation which brought up viewpoints not commonly expressed," College freshman Katy McCabe said. Some students declined to comment because they said they felt too emotionally affected.

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