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| Fifth Column |
| Peace activists go to Baghdad to keep tabs on troops, firms |
| 2003-07-18 |
| Looks like a job program for unemployed Human Shields... Some of the same peace activists who protested the U.S. invasion of Iraq have now set up camp in Baghdad, determined to scrutinize a military operation they couldn’t prevent. Their new International Occupation Watch Center, which opened last week in Iraq’s chaotic capital, will keep a skeptical eye on the activities of U.S. troops and officials. Skeptical? You don’t say!? Its four-member staff will shadow U.S. companies Bechtel Corp. and Halliburton, whose role in Iraq’s reconstruction provoked protests at home. 4 people? For the entire country? Yeah, they got this covered. And Bechtel and Halliburton, the tools of the facist occupation forces, better watch out! They got YOUR number! More to the point, the center will actively oppose the occupation itself and call for its swift end. Its views, to be published in newsletters printed in English and Arabic, will probe the occupiers’ tolerance for dissent. "This is a test of our rights -- of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly -- and we’ll press those rights to the full extent," said San Francisco activist Medea Benjamin in an interview from Baghdad. Only a matter of time before Medea’s on all the talk shows as an Iraqi "expert". And notice how it’s about THEIR rights? It’s always about them. It is unclear whether more staffers will join the initial group, or how much access the activists will actually have to either military officials or private business concerns. A guess? Ummmmmmmmmmmm.... ,like, none? Two groups Benjamin represents, Global Exchange and United for Peace and Justice, spearheaded the center’s creation. After helping fill the streets of San Francisco, New York and Washington with protests against the war, they now want U.S. troops and administrators brought home as soon as possible. This will be even less effective then "filling the street with protestors" was. Officials with the office of the U.S. civil administrator, L. Paul Bremer, could not be reached for comment. They’re probably laughing too hard. A Bechtel spokesman said the company already faces plenty of public examination without the new watchdogs. Protesters besieged the construction company’s San Francisco headquarters after Bechtel won a $680 million contract from the U.S. Agency for International Development to rebuild Iraq’s infrastructure. Activists have labeled Bechtel part of a corporate invasion of Iraq, profiting from the country’s misery. I knew it! "We’re already under close and expert scrutiny by USAID, the Army Corps of Engineers and the international media," company spokesman Jonathan Marshall said. "To this mix, Global Exchange really doesn’t bring much to the table, other than an ideological and political agenda." Looks like Becthel’s about as concerned about these dipshits as they should be. A $20,000 seed grant from Global Exchange and United for Peace and Justice helped establish the center, which Benjamin anticipates will operate for at least 18 months. Its mission ranges from preparing reports and posting them on its Web site, www.occupationwatch.org, to supporting the formation of Iraqi human rights groups and labor unions. Its staff will investigate claims that occupation troops have used unnecessary force against civilians, Benjamin said. Maybe take a ride up to the mass graves? Nah, didn’t think so... The center will try to talk with the occupation authorities, as well as representatives of U.S. companies, as much as possible, Benjamin said. Some of its investigative work throughout the country will be performed by the center’s own staff while other reports will be prepared by groups working with the center. Can’t wait to read them. They’re probably already written. "Facist army", "corporate greed", "all about oil". Blah, blah, blah. In addition, the center will work with activists elsewhere to put pressure on the countries participating in the occupation. Benjamin and others at the center met last week with Italian activists who want to force their own country to pull out, and Benjamin wants to expand that effort to Poland and Australia. Hippies working with hippies. So much gets accomplished when that happens. Many observers warn that Iraq could descend into anarchy should the troops leave too soon, and U.S. officials have recently spoken of a long stay. Benjamin opposes a lengthy occupation, which she defined as five to 10 years. Although the center does not push for a specific date to end the occupation, Benjamin said a six- to 18-month stay would be relatively quick. Quick! Somebody write that down! Plan the withdrawl timetable! Medea has spoken! "Some (Iraqis) say the U.S. troops should leave today. Others say, ’We’ll give them a year.’ Some say six months," Benjamin said. "No one wants the U.S. here more than a year." How many of them do you think want you around. Investigate that and let me know what you come up with. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #21 "Why the hell can't they just admit they were wrong?" You don't know much about the history of the Western left, do you? That would require them to give up their unjustified and perverted sense of (im)moral superiority. |
| Posted by: Ernest Brown 2003-7-19 11:21:24 AM |
| #20 PD et al: wasting them by getting local Iraqis so riled they kill them may be an amusing thought for you but think of what a waste that really is. a) you lose a great opportunity to show these activist fools the error of their ways. Send them back home converted and they will eat out their own hate-america culture from within. You will have helped to solve a cultural problem b) by letting the local populace kill westerners, you think the cultural cycle of violence is going to be lessened or entrenched? The aim is to get the rule of law established and entrenched - not to continue the idiocy. |
| Posted by: Anon1 2003-7-18 7:15:25 PM |
| #19 Why the hell can't they just admit they were wrong? The US military should ONLY admit them on the proviso they do a guided tour of Saddam's torture chambers and mass graves, and listen to a lecture from a couple of his victims on what life was like under Saddam. That should be a 3-day induction along with a safety talk illustrating the risks. That way the US military a) cannot be blamed if something happens to these idiots and b) They will have a context in which to place any violence they see occuring, hopefully understanding you cannot make an omelette without breaking some eggs. Meanwhile: I am going away with that hippie... he is so hot, I am going away with him for a few days. But why oh why does he have to be a goddam hippie???? I will try to convert him. |
| Posted by: Anon1 2003-7-18 7:04:08 PM |
| #18 The Rachel Corrie Brigade - Baghdad Division. |
| Posted by: ColoradoConservative 2003-7-18 5:03:33 PM |
| #17 With apologies to Katz Human shields: blah blah blah its all about oil blah blah blah |
| Posted by: Ri'Neref 2003-7-18 1:11:19 PM |
| #16 Better yet CyberSarge, officially inform (aka "the rumor mill") that they're all there to convert the masses to (place religion of your choice here). Problem solved AND the American gene pool stays strong. |
| Posted by: Paul 2003-7-18 12:29:31 PM |
| #15 Flaming sword has a point. We should encourage (and if necessary pay for) these people to go to Iraq. After we have a mass of them we let the Sunni, Kurds, and Assyrians know who, what, why, and where they are. Maybe we could get a few to ride 'shield' on the supply coonvoys that are yndcer attack? I can think of many others but you get the idea. I really think Sean and Babs should head the group. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge (VRWC CA Chapter) 2003-7-18 12:20:26 PM |
| #14 As a San Franciscan, I would like to say that I am behind Flaming Sword 100%! Let's encourage as many dipwap liberals from the Bay Area as we possibly can to emigrate to Iraq, where hopefully they will step in front of a stray 7.62x39 rounds. |
| Posted by: Secret Master 2003-7-18 12:01:49 PM |
| #13 Raptor, An excellent suggestion. If I was Abaizad, I'd love to diplomatically suggest that they help the oppressed Kurds reclaim their dead. Give them picks and shovels and have the Peshmurgas kindly escort them to the relevant mass graves. (under armed guard, of course, it's a "quagmire" after all) |
| Posted by: Ernest Brown 2003-7-18 11:55:19 AM |
| #12 I just want to know how many of them signed up for the Monrovia branch office? |
| Posted by: Paul 2003-7-18 11:53:46 AM |
| #11 After reading my own comment, I realized that my enthusiasm for this move doesn't come through nearly enough! In short, I think this is a GREAT OPPORTUNITY! We should all mobilize and get behind this movement--perhaps volunteer to do fundraising for them and the whole 9 yards! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ship boatloads of nut-cases to a place more properly equipped to give them the real-life "education" that they are so clearly lacking. We really shouldn't pass up an opportunity like this! |
| Posted by: Flaming Sword 2003-7-18 11:44:31 AM |
| #10 I think this is an absolutely GREAT idea! We should encourage AS MANY AS POSSIBLE who opposed our intervention in Iraq to JOIN these ass-clowns. Then, do as everyone else has already suggested--make sure that the Iraqi populace knows that these are the same fools who supported Saddam. Its classic WIN/WIN--the number of clueless nuts in the United States drops noticeably and the natural chain of events in Iraq ensures that they won't be returning to our country! |
| Posted by: Flaming Sword 2003-7-18 11:35:27 AM |
| #9 Crap. That was supposed to read: "Make doubly sure that Iraqis know they opposed Hussein's removal"....argh |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2003-7-18 11:01:37 AM |
| #8 Like Dar said, point out these human shields, er, useful idiots, er, I mean people to the general Iraqi populace. Make doubly sure that they opposed Hussein's removal, then step back and watch the fireworks. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2003-7-18 10:59:22 AM |
| #7 Give them an"armed escort"of the mass graves,like what Patton did with the locals living around the concentration camps. |
| Posted by: raptor 2003-7-18 10:53:51 AM |
| #6 "This is a test of our rights -- of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly -- and we’ll press those rights to the full extent," said San Francisco activist Medea Benjamin in an interview from Baghdad. Huh? Where do they think they are? Sausalito? You do not have US "rights" when in another country. Squirrels. They have those rights that are accorded to the Iraqis, whatever they are, and considering this is a marshal law situation, they may be surprised, indeed, by the limitations, as it should be under the circumstances. I also wonder about the legitimacy of their presence. Lessee, uh, nope - the State Dept Travel Ban was lifted on July 15th. Too bad. I'd like to see their passports confiscated and their dumb asses deported. As it is obvious that they are *hostile* perhaps they should be taken into custody for interrogation. How did they get there? Who's paying the bill - follow the money to find ISM? CAIR? Who? Oops, you're fucked, your sugar-daddy's on the list of shitforbrains supporters. It's Gitmo for you clowns. Toodles. The world seems jam-packed with twits & tools just dying to make the 10 o'clock news. |
| Posted by: PD 2003-7-18 10:50:29 AM |
| #5 Somebody bake her a pie... |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-7-18 10:49:45 AM |
| #4 Its a shame That Medeas father did not have her advice, then he could have pulled out sooner. |
| Posted by: wills 2003-7-18 10:16:36 AM |
| #3 First thing these f'ing little pricks need to do is tour all the mass grave sites recently discovered. Another one was found there yesterday. Then maybe they'll get their collective head out of their a** and get their priorities straight. Or not... |
| Posted by: Dar 2003-7-18 10:10:20 AM |
| #2 All you have to do is point these people out to the common Iraqis and tell them they were the human shields in Saddams pay before the war. Nature should take its own course. |
| Posted by: Don 2003-7-18 10:09:10 AM |
| #1 Oh, like Rachel |
| Posted by: Ri'Neref 2003-7-18 9:51:30 AM |