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'HUMAN SHIELDS' GATHERING IN BAGHDAD
nypost ^ | 2-14-03 | Sameer N. Yacoub

Posted on 02/14/2003 5:17:12 AM PST by Jimmyclyde

'HUMAN SHIELDS' GATHERING IN BAGHDAD By SAMEER N. YACOUB Associated Press Writer

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BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) . American and European peace activists wrapped their arms around posts on a bridge over the Tigris River on Thursday, symbolizing their intent to act as human shields in any U.S. war on Iraq.

The 14 activists, mostly from Italy, were one of the first groups here using the ``shield'' title, which suggests they might place their bodies at potential targets to deter bombing. But they acknowledged their mission was only a gesture meant to try to deter an invasion to topple Saddam Hussein.

``I have no intention of being a martyr,'' Canadian Roberta Taman said. ``I'm here because I believe that the world wants peace and that we can achieve peace.''

The campaigners, organized as the Iraq Peace Team, have been draping banners over public facilities in Baghdad this week . an electricity station, a water treatment plant and, on Thursday, the Martyrs Bridge over the Tigris. ``Bombing This Site Is A War Crime,'' the banners read.

Dozens of other ``human shields'' . Europeans and Americans . obtained visas at the Iraqi Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, on Tuesday and were also headed for Iraq, riding in double-decker buses.

``A country that can hardly provide water for its citizens cannot be a threat to the world,'' Ignacio Cano of Spain said.

Some of the activists charge that the Geneva Conventions governing the practices of war make it a crime to attack facilities essential to civilian life, as the U.S. military did in the 1991 Gulf War when its bombs knocked out Iraq's electricity system.

Standing on the bridge, Iraq Peace Team leader Kathy Kelly of Chicago said, ``You can imagine what this city would be like if it were cut off when some people need desperately to get to a hospital or to connect with the people on the other side.''

In New York on Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the 15 Security Council members were meeting to discuss the potential humanitarian consequences of a war in Iraq.

The U.N. refugee agency said it is concerned about possible shortages of food, drinking water, winterized shelters, sanitation, and other basic services. It says 600,000 Iraqis might flee to neighboring countries if war breaks out.

As peace groups here and around the world readied for marches and rallies Saturday in protest of U.S. war plans, the U.N. arms inspectors in Iraq quietly went about another day's business Thursday.

Among other missions, a U.N. chemical team began the neutralization of mustard gas from 10 artillery shells at the former al-Muthanna chemical weapons installation in the desert northwest of Baghdad.

The 155mm shells, whose complete neutralization is expected to take another two or three days, were the first banned weapons destroyed by the U.N. teams in the new round of inspections that began last Nov. 27. The shells were actually inventoried by previous U.N. inspectors in the 1990s, but were not destroyed before that inspections regime collapsed in 1998.

02-13-03 1359EST


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
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To: Jimmyclyde
``You can imagine what this city would be like if it were cut off when some people need desperately to get to a hospital or to connect with the people on the other side.''

Translation: You can imagine what this city would be like if people on one side didn't want to go to the hospital on that side, but insisted on going to the hospital on the other side...

41 posted on 02/14/2003 5:42:06 AM PST by yendu bwam
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To: Jimmyclyde
No point in wasting JDAMs unless the environment is target rich.
42 posted on 02/14/2003 5:42:34 AM PST by Man of the Right
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To: Jimmyclyde
Just when I got rid of my computer game "Back to Bahgdad". I wonder if there will be a new release :)
43 posted on 02/14/2003 5:43:12 AM PST by Zavien Doombringer (If I could get a degree in Trivia, I would have my doctorate!)
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To: Jimmyclyde
What concerns me about these “human shields” is the validation they give to the tactic.

The Palestinian terrorists keep themselves, their operational headquarters, their bomb factories, etc. close to or in the midst of civilian areas. This is to make any retaliatory strikes by the Israelis propaganda victories, with lots of collateral damage.

Most civilized people abhor this tactic.

The Taliban and Al Qaeda embraced it in Afghanistan, surrounding themselves with innocent civilians.

In case after case, reprehensible people and cowards will crouch behind innocents, and even threaten their destruction, in order to hold the more civilized at bay, pondering the abhorrent choice before them. “Do I allow these animals to win the day, or do I destroy so many innocents along with them?”

Hobson’s Choice. It is a tactic that is, of itself, a crime against humanity.

44 posted on 02/14/2003 5:45:31 AM PST by steve in DC
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To: Jimmyclyde
God forgive me, but I hope they are the first to get blown up. Blown so much that none of their human flesh pieces cannot be identified.

I have had it with these cowardly, tax-a-million, grubby gross anti-american idiots
45 posted on 02/14/2003 5:48:03 AM PST by hapy
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To: steve in DC
True, however in this case, these "soft" shields are voluntary. These people are flocking in to try to stop a GBU - 15 from flying in. Thats purely assanine!
46 posted on 02/14/2003 5:48:17 AM PST by Zavien Doombringer (If I could get a degree in Trivia, I would have my doctorate!)
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To: Lee'sGhost
Nothing wrong with forward planning. Carry on! (chuckle)
47 posted on 02/14/2003 5:48:48 AM PST by katana
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
ummm... what do these people do for a living that they can take time off from work to go sit in Bagdhad...?

48 posted on 02/14/2003 5:49:22 AM PST by Mr. K (all your (OPTIONAL TAG LINE) are belong to us)
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To: Jimmyclyde
please send the beast, dasshole, conyers, Teddy, gonad, nobrains......
49 posted on 02/14/2003 5:49:58 AM PST by The Wizard (Demonrats are enemies of America)
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To: Jimmyclyde
Iraq is becoming a target rich environment.
50 posted on 02/14/2003 5:50:52 AM PST by PhilipFreneau
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To: Jimmyclyde
2 birds with one JDAM.
51 posted on 02/14/2003 5:51:07 AM PST by ScholarWarrior
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To: AppyPappy
You mean this guy?


52 posted on 02/14/2003 5:53:18 AM PST by far sider
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To: yendu bwam
>You can imagine what this city would be like if it were cut off when some people need desperately to get to a hospital or to connect with the people on the other side.

I guess they have HMO's in Baghdad too.
53 posted on 02/14/2003 5:57:11 AM PST by nomorecameljocks
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To: far sider
Here's the last group of human shields used by Iraqis

At the end of the Gulf War, retreating Iraqis took about 30,000 Kuwaitis hostage in order to use them as human shields. The target presented doesn't always get identified as such.

Throughout history, civilians have always had higher casualty rates than the men under arms. This is one of the more pedantic reasons one observes refugees departing their homes with no clear destination and why people take up arms to fight....to defend themselves.

54 posted on 02/14/2003 6:01:16 AM PST by Cvengr
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To: nomorecameljocks
I guess they have HMO's in Baghdad too.

That's where Saddam goes for his VD treatments, only he usually sends a double...

55 posted on 02/14/2003 6:05:26 AM PST by yendu bwam
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To: Jimmyclyde
Cool, more cannon fodder
56 posted on 02/14/2003 6:10:13 AM PST by holdmuhbeer
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To: Jimmyclyde

Liberals are all---consciously or unconsciously---suicidal freaks.

Everything they do is a projection of that fact.

Before evolution became devolution, there used to be something that handled 'freaks of nature' called NATURAL SELECTION. Can the Planet of the Apes be far off?

57 posted on 02/14/2003 6:15:31 AM PST by Knuckle Sandwich Combo
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To: Jimmyclyde
Stupid is as stupid does.

Think I heard that somewhere.

58 posted on 02/14/2003 6:19:37 AM PST by Scott from the Left Coast (HHE)
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To: hapy; All
agreed, to a point.

god can forgive me or not, and it really doesn't matter.

i truly hope that not all of these pieces of shi'ite are killed in the first wave.
it would be satisfying to think that a few of 'em survive long enough to
get on daddy's cell phone and transmit the sound of bowels being emptied as the second wave approaches ...

59 posted on 02/14/2003 6:22:39 AM PST by tomkat
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To: Jimmyclyde
``A country that can hardly provide water for its citizens cannot be a threat to the world,'' Ignacio Cano of Spain said.

That's right, a country that WON'TT provide water to its citizens couldn't produce any anthrax or mustard gas or VX or...oops!

I'm going to rename you Ignacio Cabeza de la Mierda...

60 posted on 02/14/2003 6:23:51 AM PST by hellinahandcart
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