I was a naive fool to be a human shield for Saddam (MUST, MUST READ!)

The Sunday Telegraph ^ | March 23, 2003 | Daniel Pepper

[abner]

Thanks Ivan. I needed this to send to a couple of anti-war types that have emailed the usflagballoon site.

[eggman]

Perhaps the most crushing thing we learned was that most ordinary Iraqis thought Saddam Hussein had paid us to come to protest in Iraq.

Reality hits one of Saddam's useful idiots.

Another great article Ivan.

[polemikos]

Anyone with half a brain must see that Saddam has to be taken out.

So, an implicit acknowledgement that he had less?

[Dog Gone]

Emailed to my communist brother who suffers from the same delusions.

[Blue Collar Christian]

"..for a day."

No, actually about 2 weeks.

[nicmarlo]

Thanks for your post, MadIvan....a moving story. Don't know if you've seen this article or not. There's a paragraph (about 3/4 down the page) about the children's prisons in Iraq; Scott Ritter saw them, and it still didn't change his mind about the war against Iraq.

Scott Ritter in His Own Words

You've spoke about having seen the children's prisons in Iraq. Can you describe what you saw there?

The prison in question is at the General Security Services headquarters, which was inspected by my team in Jan. 1998. It appeared to be a prison for children — toddlers up to pre-adolescents — whose only crime was to be the offspring of those who have spoken out politically against the regime of Saddam Hussein. It was a horrific scene. Actually I'm not going to describe what I saw there because what I saw was so horrible that it can be used by those who would want to promote war with Iraq, and right now I'm waging peace.

[McGavin999]

Well, that's 5 of them, only a couple hundred thousand more to go. Of course, some of them already know, but just don't care.

[aimhigh]

Great post. Too bad this probably won't be picked up in most of the U.S. press.

[EternalVigilance]

Awesome. Another child grows up a little after being hit upside the head by reality.

Hope he makes it all the way to adulthood.

[TexasNative2000]

Maturity: when idealism meet reality.

[EdReform]

'We never wanted to fight you - only the diehards did'

"We hate Saddam, but we are scared," said one. They begged not to be photographed: "We will be seen giving in."

One man pulled up his shirt sleeve and held up his right hand. Two fingers had been hacked off and his upper arm was criss-crossed with scars.

"This is the price of defiance - of trying to run away," he said, his eyes beseeching. He held up a torn gas mask that had no air canister. "We have one. We draw straws for it. We know if the British and American soldiers leave as they did before, and Saddam survives, he will gas the town." To make sure we understood, he drew his finger swiftly across his throat..."

[texson66]

Superb article, Ivan! Keep 'em coming!

[EllaMinnow]

You've got to see this one.

[Jerez2]

Now, Mr. Pepper, to prove you are sincere in your conversion -- offer to be a speaker at these anti-American rallies, citing as your claim to fame that you are one of the famous Human Shields. THEN tell your story to the thousands out there! MAKE them hear it! they won't trust it from us, let them hear it from one of their own!

But no, that would take way more guts than these guys have. They were probably safer in Iraq (since Saddam saw them as useful idiots) than they would be in front of a huge crowd of 'peaceniks' in the USA.

[Mo1]

Maybe it was a good thing these idiot human sheilds went to Iraq after all

Maybe they finally get it

[billhilly]

My understanding changed on intellectual, emotional, psychological levels."

I do not think the writer can claim an intellectual understanding regarding the issue of Saddam Hussain versus the people of Iraq. This juvenile is a few thousand books shy of an intellect, as this self righteous tract underscores.

Why are the "students" always portrayed as the arbiters of right and wrong?

[stands2reason]

It hadn't occurred to anyone that the Iraqis might actually be pro-war.

Imagine!

[Lil'freeper]

bump! and thanks for finding this!

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Well, I guess it's better late than never. Geezus though, how can you be so naive?

They live in a bubble. Most are from upper class families and have no clue about how harsh life can be. And they have no idea of what oppression is.

I run into them far too often. Little children in adult bodies. They never learned to think or reason and their teachers have fed them a diet of this pap. They see it on the TV and read it in magazines. So it must be true right?

Or they believe that nothing is true. Either way it is sad. Sadder yet is that they end up getting people killed needlessly.

[FatherOfLiberty]

Thanks for posting this, MadIvan. This guy has some redeeming potential. I think perhaps that he has made the transition to the adult world (to which many adults have not transitioned). Can we nominate this guy as an honorary FReeper?