“Nowhere to Escape in a War” Citizens Bought a Gun, not Bread

’A war without guns’ already began in Iraq.

Members of anti-war groups entered to form a human shield with foreign reporters were crowded in a security checkpoint in a direction of Jordan. TV broadcasted the US fight encouragement news of Sadam Hussein and intensive training scenes of Iraqi soldiers.

However, Baghdad was quiet like an eye of typhoon. There was no riot. Also, people didn’t tend to buy daily necessaries.

However, one citizen who the reporter met had a hardened face. A vice-president of a travel industry said, “If the war breaks out, Baghdad citizens cannot seek refuge. It is because there are only endless waste lands in other roads if outer security checkpoints of Baghdad are blocked.” Also, the other citizen said, “The president Hussein emphasized a victory in Baghdad. We will go to war.”

Baghdad citizens are buying guns in the gun shop. Many people seemed to feel that the war is almost inevitable now.

Ki-Tae Kwon kkt@donga.com