New Haven Independent

Smith, who was showing his work and raising money for his trip at an event Friday night at United Church on the Green, had a two-part answer.

First, he said, most Iraqis do distinguish between the U.S. government (which most of them hate or at least would like to see leave their country) and individual Americans.

Second, he said, “They want Americans to know what life is really like — how scary it is, how little they have.”

“Still there’s no power, there’s no clean water. Same things as before. It just keeps getting worse and going on longer,” he said. Click here to hear his elaboration.

The unembedded reporter explained that it’s often difficult to get into Iraq, since he has no backing from any media organization. He said that once he gets past that hurdle, he has mixed emotions.

“Whew, I’m in!” Pause… “Whoa, I’m in!” Click here for more.

Click here to view photos on his website.

Smith pays all his own expenses from what he earns doing piano tuning and repair. He raises money to be able to donate to Iraqi aid organizations and women’s groups, and also to give cash to any deserving Iraqis he meets. He said that approach is unusual, but he believes it builds good will between the American and Iraqi people.

He’s also delivering medical supplies collected through Remedy, a non-profit started by Will Rosenblatt (pictured) at Yale Medical School that now reaches hospitals around the country.

One woman asked Smith how he prepares, emotionally or spiritually, for his trips to a war zone. He replied that he doesn’t do anything special besides focusing more and more on the people of Iraq as he began his journeys.

In the photo at the top of the story, he’s demonstrating how American soldiers’ lack of cultural understanding has often led to tragedy, when they motion like that to get Iraqis to stop at checkpoints. Iraqis use a completely different hand signal for “stop.” So they don’t (or didn’t) often stop at the checkpoints.

Smith said that women’s lives have become more circumscribed since the 2003 invasion. “There was no security, so militias started taking control of whole neighborhoods, and a lot of them are religiously affiliated. Women who’d worn T-shirts and jeans and uncovered heads all their lives all of a sudden had to cover themselves. Depending on the militia that controls your neighborhood, you have to wear the outfit that that particular militia approves of. Also, women by the hundreds were being kidnapped and sold into sexual slavery inside the country.” He supports the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq, and brought Yanar Mohammed, one of the co-founders, to Connecticut for a tour last fall.

Carolyn Baltazar, a friend of Smith who brought food to the Friday event, said of his trips, “It’s crazy in that he’s putting his life in danger, but he’s unbelievably good-hearted, and it’s amazing what he’s doing on his own. Quite heroic, in a way. I just appreciate all the work he does, so I try to help him out the best way I can.”

Diana Mlynarski said she met Smith Friday night for the first time. She recalled taking a postcard three years ago from “some photographer who was passing out postcards on the street — some photographer who went to Iraq.” Then she got an email from her friend Baltazar about the Friday night event, and realized she’d had Smith’s postcard on her refrigerator all that time. “It’s quite amazing,” she said, “and it’s really nice to have someone’s personal perspective of what goes on over there.”

For more information, and to see his photos, visit Smith’s website. He’ll also be blogging for the Advocate.