I remember hearing a lot during the early part of the Iraq war/occupation about people getting shot at checkpoints. The soldiers manning the checkpoint would signal for cars to stop and they'd keep coming, so the soldiers thinking they were a threat would shoot them. Then they'd find that in the car it was a just a family going to visit relatives or something equally benign.

I remember thinking "Why wouldn't those people stop?" I couldn't imagine why they would just keep driving and get shot up.

I read in Time magazine that when the soldiers would signal a car to stop they would hold out "an open palm, waving downward". It's a symbol we all know means "stop". Unfortunately for Iraqis it means "come". So they would come thinking they were doing the right thing, the soldiers would think they were a threat, and shoot them.

These days the soldiers stop cars by holding out a clenched fist.

I've kept thinking about that since I first read it. Something so simple, some small bit of cultural knowledge, could have saved so many innocent lives.

Communication is a dangerous and tricky business.

You know in that picture of Baghdad down below. The guy standing up high on the far right looks like a young, Iraqi, 80s, Bono.

I hope we have more Iraqi pop music in Australia as a result of this war. What good is colonisation if we don't get new pop music?

Rocky has liberated Baghdad.

I wonder if Saddam has any plan up his sleave or he's just doing really badly.

I'm a lot quieter about the war than I was before it happened. I guess not I'm observing it more than worrying about it. I'm in desensitised (how does one spell that?) mode. Now I don't have the energy to worry about what's going on. I don't like it but to worry about the anguish that has been inflicted on all the people who have been victims of this war is a lot of worry. I pray for peace. I'll go to the marches. I guess I'll do what I can. But it's a lot of work to actively feel about all these things, especially when I don't feel like it will make any difference.

The anti-war protests turned violent today. That's a bit disappointing. They were going really well, but now it's all gone pear shaped. It's sad when peace protesters turn violent. It doesn't seem right. I'll still go marching though. I just won't beat up police. I think that's a bad move.

I like what Peter Jensen said.

US troops showed reporters a hideout said to have been used by an Iraqi militiaman. The soldier who had used the hideout had only a filthy blanket to protect him from the cold desert nights, and just a plastic bag of raw meat for food.

When he fled, he left behind a picture of his two children.

If I was the sort of person who cried about newspaper articles, I'd cry about that. Coalition or Iraqi. Why do soldiers have to have families? And friends? And humanity?

We discussed the issue of the war in Iraq at fireside today. It was interesting. The idea of a "Just War" popped up. It doesn't sit well with me, but I would be willing to say that there probably is a time for war. But I would still very strongly say this is not the time and the US are not the people.

I have to read more about just war, but I'm more softened to it now than I was before dinner. Prove a point to me from the Bible and you'll get me on side. I guess that's what happens when you're an evangelical.

Anglican Media Sydney has some articles about it, I will read them soon. At the moment the Oscars are calling.

I wonder how the march in the city went.

I read around 20,000. That's not as good as 250,000. I was busy today.

I've been really bad at e-mailing lately.

We believe that so far from our action in Iraq increasing the terrorist threat it will, by stopping the spread of chemical and biological weapons, make it less likely that a devastating terrorist attack will be carried out against Australia.

John Howard, 20th March 2003

How much does Iraq supply the terrorists of the world? They probably supplied the planes on September 11.

I wonder if there will be trading cards with chewing gum for this war like there was for Desert Storm. I do hope so, I do love chewing gum, ever so much.

If you are a soldier who participates in an un-just war does that make you a perpetrator as well, or just a soldier? Should we support our troops because they are following orders and not making decisions, or do they have the capacity, and freedom, to decide what wars they fight and what violence they participate in?

George Bush said that for Iraqi soldiers “Just following orders” was no excuse. I think that maybe that's true of any soldier.

But then again, I am not a soldier. This is probably not my place to judge.

I guess supporting our troops, even if they are the ones that physically carry out the evil, is the best way to make sure they don't get treated the way the leaders of our country are by the general public.

I don't support the war, and I don't support their participation in it, as a group or as individuals. I do however think they deserve love and respect, the same as all human beings, creations of God.

I went to the Peace march in the city today at 5pm. It was cool. There were between 15,000 and 20,000 people there. And they had all turned up because they war had started 3 hours earlier. It was an emergency rally. Getting 15,000 people on three hours notice is pretty damn good if you ask me.

There were lots of speeches which I wasn't all that impressed with. Mainly because they were mostly politicians and they were all trying to win my vote as well as denounce the war. Simon Crean did that on Tuesday in Parliament too. I find it a little annoying really. Here we are protesting about a war and they are thinking of their political careers.

So that made the speeches a little annoying. But we marched down to Circular Quay and that was cool. We marched past the US consulate and John Howard’s office. There were masses of Police there. Everyone booed and swore but no one got violent. Apart from the fact that being rude to George and John makes me un-comfortable, it was kinda fun. I liked the Police. And all the angry people. It was a very interesting atmosphere. Someone had thrown red paint at John Howard’s offices. That was as violent as it got though.

Anyway, I marched again. It may be “pissing into the wind” as I heard it described. But really pissing into the wind doesn’t make you feel as good, and it doesn’t have the potential to achieve as much.

World War III started today.

I'm not sure if it did but if this does all disintegrate into WWIII you can quote me on that. It will be a nice thing to be able to point to my blog and say "Look, I was right. On the day the war on Iraq started I said it was the beginning of World War Three". And everyone else will be like "I don't really care Tom." Because they'll too busy with their ration cards and bomb shelters.

Well.

Damn.

War, eh?

I watched TV a lot today. I watched Johnny commit our troops to war. I watched Georgy tell Saddam to leave. And I watched Johnny and Simony (I'm not quite sure how to ad a Y to Simon) argue about the troops. It was all in all a very strange day. There was very strong community feel at college as we all crowded around the TV to watch the events un-fold. The lectures seemed to end just in time for all the important announcements.

Man, I think John, George and Saddam all deserve a slap. That's a pacifist, enemy-loving slap.

It's a strange feeling I have at the moment. A bit like I did after September 11. Like the whole world is changing. Sad really I rather liked the world.

Well, bits of it.

The war should be starting soon. I'm getting impatient. I can't wait for it to begin. Then I can stop complaining about the lead up to war and start worrying about suicide bombers and getting conscripted. Nothing like a bit of war to spice up your life.

There's a dude in the US who has been sentenced to spend 30 nights in dog house.

How funny is that?

It's so strange just watching this war begin. Does this happen every time people go to war.

I don't have much faith that this war can be averted. I have faith that God can stop it, but I don't have faith in people not to do it. Hmm. Is that the correct attictude to have? I pray for peace.