SBS Special Report, War Cloud Hangs Over Iraq

Many young couples are now rushing to get married in Baghdad, the capital city of Iraq. In houses, there are food, oil, rice and flour hidden inside storage rooms and shelves in the kitchen.

Those who have a little money left are eager to buy small power generators, water pumps and gold. They know, however, that they will be of little use when a war once breaks out.

`War Cloud Hangs Over Iraq,` a special report program to be aired on Feb. 26 by SBS, will tell the life of Iraqi people facing an imminent war. The special report team covered the life of ordinary people in Iraq from December last year through the end of January this year to deliver real images and stories from the ground zero.

The nine-member Mustapa family living in Baghdad gets prepared for a war as they live in great fear of a war.

Some 400,000 people marched through the street of the capital city on January 5th Day of Armed Force. Among the civilian-member army of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein were high school girls wearing high heels. Most of them were just ordinary people with a gun on their shoulder.

Vice Prime Minister Azziz said during an interview with the report team, “When Americans begin to attack our country, we will have to send young school girls and children to fight against the evil force.”

Young people will inevitably become escape goats for a war between Americans and the Saddam government. And families can no more delay big things to be done. “At the hotel we were staying, we sometimes saw up to 40 couples getting married a day,” said Kim Young-mi, director of the report team.

And the report also looked into what the U.N. inspection team was doing in the war-facing Baghdad and how loyal Iraqi people to their leader Saddam Hussein. Lapael, an only 8-year-old elementary school student, delivered a heartfelt message through his big innocent eyes. “I am scared of a war.”

Seung-Hoon Cheon raphy@donga.com