"Today is the beginning of the end of the occupation of Iraq"
Cindy Sheehan during one of her numerous interviews outside the Bu$h ranch in Crawford, Texas, August 6, 2005.
We arrived at the Crawford Peace House in Crawford, Texas today at about 11:15 am. Shortly after that, a busload of Veterans for Peace and Cindy arrived. Cindy immediately gave an interview to several members of the media.
Cindy during interviews at Crawford Peace House
Alex Ryabov Iraq War Vet makes his sign at Crawford Peace House
After she talked with the local sheriff who assured us that he would work with us if we worked with him, we loaded up in individual cars and the bus from Dallas and headed toward the ranch. We stopped and parked at a fork in the road that had a large triangular patch of grass where we could park.
A large group of media again interviewed Cindy then we started our march toward the ranch. The sheriff told us that he would take us two miles from the ranch entrance. As we walked down the paved county road, the sheriff's men started yelling, "No feet on the pavement!" We were supposed to stay in the bar ditch which had a sharp incline, was overgrown with weeds and full of fire ants while the sheriff and his men walked in the road. One of the veterans said, "That's alright. We've been ditched before." Where is it illegal to walk in the road--a public road paid for with tax dollars? It was almost impossible to walk in the ditch so gradually we ventured out into the road. That is when the sheriff stopped us saying that we had not followed his orders so he would take us no further.
We crowded into the bar ditches on either side of the road while the SS sped past us first one way then turning around to speed past us again. There were vans, suburbans and cars full of SS. I have never seen so many police, sheriff's deputies, and SS in my entire life!
At that point, Cindy gave another interview. The media headquartered in the local public school and there were almost as many media representatives as protesters. Someone said that there were about 200 protesters at the peak. While Cindy talked to the media, I visited with a member of the White House press corp. and a local rancher. The rancher was quite sympathetic and completely agreed with us but he was not comfortable providing any support for Cindy. He said that homeland security could determine that he was a threat, declare eminent domain, and seize his land.
The heat was brutal so it was not long before the crown dwindled. The SS, in a show of concern (cough, cough...), suggested that it was too hot to stay there. We reminded them that our children were in Iraq where it is currently 130 deg. They nodded and shut up!
Several people left to use the restroom and get water. They never returned. Anyone who went back to their car was forbidden to return. That meant no one could bring us food or water. After much discussion, we decided to return to the triangular parking area because there was more room and a little shade and supplies.
I had talked to Cindy on Friday so I knew she was planning to camp out but she did not have any camping gear so I took her my gear. We sat the tent up in the middle of the triangle and decorated it with signs. That is when we got the first warning from the SS about people driving fast and the danger of a car or truck hitting us. They took many pictures of us and even asked me to stand by my tent so they could take my picture with the tent. I am sure they got all the license numbers off the cars. The sheriff told us that the county owned the triangular space and we could not put the tent there for safety reasons. We could, however, put it in the bar ditch. Ditched again, we move it to the bar ditch.
The entire time SS cars were flying by every few minutes. Several carloads of SS parked and watched us and they would change guard after about 30 minutes. A few more agents told us that they were concerned about the local people driving fast down the road and that we should be careful. Suddenly, they were all gone. No SS or police or sheriff's deputies in sight and we were all alone.
Like something out of a movie, a caravan of suburbans, vans, and cars swooped upon us and with synchronized precision, SS agents got out of the vehicles and surrounded us. It was eerie, frightening, and thrilling! Two men who appeared quite important walked up to Cindy. Stephen Hadley, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs played good cop and sat on the pavement looking up at Cindy. Joseph W. Hagin, Deputy Chief of Staff was the bad cop so he sat in one of the chairs we had brought. They went through the same old trite bullshit party line spiel we have all heard a million times! The only problem is that Cindy is fully informed, intelligent, quick-witted, calm and focused, and disarming in her honesty and directness. Effortlessly, she made them look as foolish as they are!
Stephen Hadley (sitting on ground) and Joseph Hagin (in chair) talking to Cindy
Hadley reminded her that the Iraqis could now vote. She showed him Casey's pictures, told him that she had give birth to him after carrying him for nine months. That she had nursed him for over a year. She said a few more things about Casey then asked Hadley if he thought she had gone through all that so Iraqis could vote. She cried just a little and everyone was quite touched. We applauded for her several times during their meeting.
After about the tenth warning that we were in a dangerous position and they were concerned a car might hit us, I asked one agent if he was warning us or threatening us because we had received the same warning so many times that it was beginning to sound like a threat. I told him that we had been there for a while and the only people driving fast were the SS people--the locals slowed down when they came by. He assured me he was not making a threat but was only concerned. I told him that if a car hit anyone, he should be sure it was not one of his people or someone sent by him because that would look very bad for the president. The top SS agent drove up shortly to again tell us to be careful. Hillary, a protester with Code Pink, asked him point-blank if he was saying that there would be an accident if we stayed there. He assured us that was not the case. I left at about 8:00 PM and none of the agents said anything about anybody being killed.
Being objective here: We were situated on a curve and could not easily be seen but it was the only place left to us. Warning us of that danger was not unreasonable. I do not think the SS was actually threatening us. They were following a pattern of intimidation: not letting us walk on the pavement, telling us we could go no further and making us move the tent, etc. Several times, they drove by while we were walking and came within several inches of someone and they were driving rather fast but I never felt I was in any danger from them. I was pissed that they was trying to intimidate us and so were the others but, when I left, no one was feeling that they were in "eminent danger." While the SS agent did warn us of the possibility of danger, it was not really a "warning" from the SS.
When I left, there was one very nice man, a Vietnam veteran, from Lubbock, Texas, Cindy, Dede who is Cindy's sister and a couple of women from Code Pink who were planning to spend the night.
My tent where Cindy will spend some of her time
I have pictures if someone will give me the code to post them. I am sure I have forgotten several things that will come to me. It has been a very long and exciting day.
UPDATE: Priceless quote by Cindy
She was telling Hadley and Hagin about Bu$h meeting with her and several other families who had lost loved ones. His behavior was horribly inappropriate! Among many other things, Bu$h would not look at Casey's pictures, would not call him by his name and called her "Mom." She said, "If I were his mom, he would behave a lot better!"
UPDATE 2: Ways to help Cindy
The best way to help her is to get your body there. That is what she needs most.
Other ways to help:
Donate money to Crawford Peace House designated to help Cindy. They are supplying food and water, making signs and purchasing any other supplies.
Write LTEs and call news media
Code Pink is also providing support with food and materials so you can donate there. They are looking for more tents to put up.
Code Pink is planning a hunger strike starting Monday if Bu$h has not talked to Cindy by then.