So much for "Human Shields"

[abu afak]

Some British "human Shields" Flee Iraq, Cite Safety Fears
The Associated Press
Published: Mar 2, 2003

LONDON (AP) - Some of the peace activists who went to Iraq to serve as human shields in the event of war returned home, fearing for their safety, a spokesman said Sunday.
The human shields are mostly European activists who drove from London to Baghdad in two double-decker buses last month, intending to guard civilian sites from a U.S.-led military attack.

Those who returned home had safety or financial concerns, spokesman Christiaan Briggs said.

"The aim was always a mass migration and if we had had five to ten thousand people here there would never be a war," he said. "We do not have those numbers."

The Sunday Telegraph newspaper reported that nine of the 11 British human shields in the bus convoy had left Baghdad. Briggs said about a dozen Britons remained in Iraq alongside several dozens from other countries.

He told Britain's Press Association news agency that Iraq limited the sites that human shields could visit. "Now we are being told we cannot go to certain sites, such as hospitals, so we are reassessing our strategy," he said..

U.S. officials have said that it is a war crime to use civilians as human shields and that there's no way of guaranteeing their safety.

On Friday, the head of Sweden's largest peace organization urged human shields to leave Iraq, saying they were being used for propaganda purposes by Saddam Hussein.

Maria Ermanno, chairwoman of the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society, cited reports that Iraqi officials were arranging transportation, accommodations and news conferences for the human shields.

"To go down to Iraq and live and act there on the regime's expense, then you're supporting a terrible dictator. I think that method is entirely wrong," Ermanno told Swedish Radio.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAFJC48TCD.html


Tell me... Why weren't they allowed to go to hospitals?

Gun emplacements? WMD?

[MichaelC]

Confidential Vol. 3, Issue 99, February 28, 2003
DEBKA-Net-Weekly

As one officer put it, “There’s no such thing as a human shield. Any humans standing between us and our objective can expect to be treated as a hostile force.”

[Frans_1]

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=6417

I like this one :) Kind of hilarious and so sad at the same time.

Many shields had earlier asked to be stationed at sites such as schools, hospitals or orphanages, but Iraqi officials said there was little point in guarding low-risk targets in any aerial assault.

[minusthejihad]

Hey Northlander and Takeo,

Did you both share a Mocha Latte on the flight back?

[Alfred]

Today's "modern European" All talk, no action.

Should we take up a collection for Takeo and Northlander's airfare to Iraq? Perhaps the only reason they haven't gone to Iraq is that the economy is bad and........

[JustPat]

Only goes to show that there is no heart in the protests. True believers would don the Iraqi uniform and take up arms to defend their friends. They would show themselves to be committed. Instead they show themselves to be the spineless whiners (winers for the French) that they are. Welcome home children, now watch what happens when someone acts on principle instead of hyped up emotion.