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Fifth Column
’Human shields’ catch bus back
2003-03-03
Most of the British human shields who traveled to Baghdad in red double-decker buses are returning home before a gunshot has been fired because of "safety fears," organisers say. Many of those returning are concerned for their safety after the Iraqi authorities began dictating which sites they could "protect," said Christiaan Briggs, a co-ordinator for the action group in Baghdad. Briggs told the UK's news agency Press Association: "Now we are being told we cannot go to certain sites, such as hospitals, so we are reassessing our strategy.
"Run away! Run away!"
"I must stress the people on the bus were always intending on going back. The aim was always a mass migration and if we had had five to ten thousand people here there would never be a war. "We do not have those numbers and a lot of people were always intending to go back before the bombing campaign started."
"You didn't really expect us to live up to our word, did you?"
The two buses, which left Baghdad Saturday, are thought to be heading towards Syria. Abdul al-Hashimi, head of Saddam Hussein's Peace and Solidarity Organization, ordered the volunteers to disperse to nine sites in Baghdad or leave, Britain's broadsheet newspaper, Daily Telegraph reported. Most of the activists thought they would be "shielding" schools or hospitals, but instead found themselves assigned to power stations, oil refineries and water purification plants. "We had been told we would go to humanitarian sites, specifically hospitals," Ken O'Keefe, the former U.S. marine who led the activists, told the newspaper. "But we've now been told that we can't go to those places. The human shields strategy will not work under these circumstances. The level of trust is not present now."
"Actually, we never did give a fig about what happened to a bunch of Iraqis, but we did manage to get our names in the papers, didn't we? That means we must be important..."
Nine of the 11 British human shields in the bus convoy had left Baghdad, the Telegraph said. Among them was 68-year-old Godfrey Meynell, a former High Sheriff of Derbyshire, who was assigned to protect Baghdad South power station but admitted that he was leaving out of "cold fear."
At least he's an honest coward...
A 22-year-old student from Pennsylvania assigned to an oil refinery told the paper: "The people staying there sleep 50 yards from stacks billowing black smoke. "And it's sinister: twenty minders are there for eight shields. There are three security gates, including one manned by plain-clothed guards carrying AK47s."
Heh, heh, heh.
U.S. officials have said that it is a "war crime" to use civilians as human shields and that there is no way of guaranteeing their safety.
"Matter of fact, any of them that stay are toast..."
Briggs estimated around a dozen remained in Baghdad and said he and others may now act as witnesses rather than human shields. "I said right from the start, I was prepared to die but when I knew I had a chance of affecting change," he said.
When you make those stoopid "prepared to die" statements, you have to ask yourself, "Am I prepared to be maimed for life for what I believe?" If more people asked themselves that question, rather than imagining A Hero's Death™, there would be fewer wars, and a hell of a lot fewer people rolling their eyes and waving AK47's...
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 Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
You just figured this out?
Bravo! Brilliant!
Maria Ermanno, chairwoman of the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society, cited reports that Iraqi officials were arranging transportation, accommodation 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.
Posted by:Steve

#9  we decided there's not enough of us to make a decent fish fry cause of those "other" lying bastages......now that there is a very good chance we could get hurt in our new job as human shields (HEY WE COULD GET SHOT!!!) we quit and want someone to come get us because we are bla bla bla citizens.............got 2 words for ya......eat me.........couldn't resist.....and pretend I'm a big ole ham!!!!!!
Posted by: Rocky   2003-03-07 02:26:28  

#8  "Safety fears"?????

BWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!!!!
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2003-03-03 21:57:40  

#7  You can't top the real-life comedy of the article's first sentence, but I did try. Cheers!
Posted by: Bill   2003-03-03 21:32:15  

#6  Thanks Mike! Strangely appropriate at this time, no?
Posted by: Ptah   2003-03-03 21:18:50  

#5  Hey, running away is for other countries. Brits don't run away, we "strategically withdraw".

See Afghanistan 1842, France 1940, etc.
Posted by: A   2003-03-03 12:05:12  

#4  Ptah:

Here you go . . .

Brave Sir Robin ran away,
Bravely ran away, away.
When danger reared its ugly head, he bravely turned his tail and fled.
Yes, brave Sir Robin turned about
And gallantly, he chickened out.
Bravely taking to his feet,
He beat a very brave retreat,
Bravest of the brave, Sir Robin.

Posted by: Mike   2003-03-03 11:39:03  

#3  Somebody cue the soundtrack from "Monty Python's Holy Grail". You know, the one with Sir Robin's Minstrel. Start at the measure that begins with "He very bravely runs away..."
Posted by: Ptah   2003-03-03 11:01:44  

#2  Losers. Stupid losers. Stupid BALL-LESS losers.

Have a nice trip, assholes.
Posted by: mojo   2003-03-03 10:04:17  

#1  we decided there's not enough of us to make a decent fish fry cause of those "other" lying bastages......now that there is a very good chance we could get hurt in our new job as human shields (HEY WE COULD GET SHOT!!!) we quit and want someone to come get us because we are bla bla bla citizens.............got 2 words for ya......eat me.........couldn't resist.....and pretend I'm a big ole ham!!!!!!
Posted by: Rocky   3/7/2003 2:26:28 AM  

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