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BOB ABERNETHY, anchor: Continuing questions this week about the role of religion in the new Iraq. Ayatollah Mohammed al-Hakim, leader of one of Iraq's largest Shiite groups, returned after 23 years in exile. Initially, al-Hakim called for a "modern Islamic regime." But he later said he wants to see a democratic state that respects Islam and grants significant roles to women and religious minorities. Many Sunni Muslims and Christians are concerned about the growing influence of Iraq's long-repressed Shiite majority.
Throughout Iraq, more and more humanitarian aid is coming in. But challenges still abound. Kim Lawton has our update.
KIM LAWTON: Paul Bremer, the new American civilian administrator for Iraq, this week promised to make security his number one priority. He acknowledged that ongoing lawlessness has slowed down relief and reconstruction efforts. Meanwhile, nongovernmental agencies have been sending in teams to assess the humanitarian needs and the feasibility of starting new programs.
Joining me now is Jonathan Frerichs of Lutheran World Relief. He's just back from an assessment trip to Baghdad. Lutheran World Relief is part of the All Our Children Campaign, a project in Iraq sponsored by several Christian agencies. He brought a video camera on the trip. Jonathan, thanks for being with us.
JONATHAN FRERICHS (Lutheran World Relief/All Our Children): Good to be here, Kim.
LAWTON: Show us what you saw.
Mr. FRERICHS: Well, you go to where help is needed and you find yourself in places you couldn't reach before the war: a clinic here, on the outskirts of Baghdad. And in this room are really two of the biggest killers of young Iraqis -- diarrhea and respiratory infection. So Dr. Ahmad there has just gone through the crowd, asked the kids who are in the most trouble to come in. And this particular little one-and-a-half-year-old, Sikne Jabar, has respiratory infection -- listen to this list -- vomiting, diarrhea, and skin troubles.
Outside, there are over a hundred people waiting in the first hour that the clinic was open. We are also going to be working here to do a water system, because water is the thing carrying a lot of the infection, and building up this clinic to be handed back to the Iraqi health system as soon as possible. Dr. Ahmad working without pay, the family receiving the medicine they need and going home happy, and able to come back again tomorrow to get help.
Throughout Iraq, more and more humanitarian aid is coming in. But challenges still abound. Kim Lawton has our update.KIM LAWTON: Paul Bremer, the new American civilian administrator for Iraq, this week promised to make security his number one priority. He acknowledged that ongoing lawlessness has slowed down relief and reconstruction efforts. Meanwhile, nongovernmental agencies have been sending in teams to assess the humanitarian needs and the feasibility of starting new programs.
Joining me now is Jonathan Frerichs of Lutheran World Relief. He's just back from an assessment trip to Baghdad. Lutheran World Relief is part of the All Our Children Campaign, a project in Iraq sponsored by several Christian agencies. He brought a video camera on the trip. Jonathan, thanks for being with us.
JONATHAN FRERICHS (Lutheran World Relief/All Our Children): Good to be here, Kim.
LAWTON: Show us what you saw.
Mr. FRERICHS: Well, you go to where help is needed and you find yourself in places you couldn't reach before the war: a clinic here, on the outskirts of Baghdad. And in this room are really two of the biggest killers of young Iraqis -- diarrhea and respiratory infection. So Dr. Ahmad there has just gone through the crowd, asked the kids who are in the most trouble to come in. And this particular little one-and-a-half-year-old, Sikne Jabar, has respiratory infection -- listen to this list -- vomiting, diarrhea, and skin troubles. Outside, there are over a hundred people waiting in the first hour that the clinic was open. We are also going to be working here to do a water system, because water is the thing carrying a lot of the infection, and building up this clinic to be handed back to the Iraqi health system as soon as possible. Dr. Ahmad working without pay, the family receiving the medicine they need and going home happy, and able to come back again tomorrow to get help.
And, as you look at these pictures, I think it's important to consider that these are people who went through a war with great fear and consternation about their fate, and then we are faced after the war with the insecurity that we are still hearing about today. A place like this wasn't looted too badly. This man made it through okay, and he's taking home his quilt. But here in a mental hospital just next door, a thousand patients were turned loose into the streets, and 700 of them still out as we were there, staff working without pay, trying to put the files back in order, and of course each file representing a life of a patient there. A lot of questions on people's minds.
