Even 'smart' bombs hurt civilians

Smart bombs' that hit their targets perfectly do a great deal of damage to the environment around them - according to Christian Peacekeeper Scott Kerr who arrived in Jordan from Baghdad yesterday. Scot said that while the degree of accuracy of the bombing has been "incredible" in Baghdad, "what people don't realize is that each bombing blows out all the glass from the windows for two or three blocks around the bomb site. That's what's causing most of the injuries." He said: " We had pictures shaking in our room and felt gusts of air when bombs fell blocks away." Kerr reported that 95% of street activity had ceased, especially since the allies have begun bombing in the day as well as in the evening. He said: "After a while, air raid sirens became so frequent and unreliable that the team stopped listening to them. What made more of an impression was the Muslim call to prayer coming from mosque minarets on most nights, just as the bombs started to fall. In the middle of the bombing, you are reminded that God is great." On the trip from Baghdad the team saw many civilian cars, buses, ambulances and houses that allied bombing runs had destroyed. The team who left Baghdad on April 1 were Americans: Scott Kerr, Sean O'Sullivan, Jerry and Sis Levin and Jim Douglas; Canadians: Lisa Martens and Stewart Vriesinga and David Havard from England. Christian Peacemaker Teams is an initiative of the historic peace churches (Mennonites, Church of the Brethren, and Quakers) with support and membership from a range of Catholic and Protestant denominations.