Activists want to encourage leaders to care.. but the environment is so far down the agenda in Iraq

Leon on 'wounded' Tigris River

- SHAUNA CORR

AN Irish adventurer told how his crew was shot at during his three-month voyage along Iraq’s “wounded” river Tigris. 

Leon McCarron, from Castlerock, Co Derry, has been travelling the world in sustainable ways since his 20s.

But after falling in love with Iraq he decided to take his latest expedition through life in the “cradle of civilisation”.

An Iraqi friend warned the 37-yearold the trip would be “absolute suicide” and he’d be a “sitting duck” because of the grip “criminals and cut throats” have on the country.

But he was determined to witness life along the now-fragmented and polluted river which gave the world the first legal system, schools, beer, sailing boats and so much more. Leon told us: “We got shot at, once. There was this one soldier who was charged with watching that part of the river.

“We were going down and he saw our two boats coming and he nearly shot us.

“We went over and spoke to him and he was shaking... but he wouldn’t let us pass.

“When we turned to go away from him... this young soldier was clearly on edge and fired another shot at us.

“It just shows how inaccessible it has become... even the rivers aren’t free.”