U.S. Fines Woman for Being 'Human Shield'

The Washington Post ^ | Monday, August 11, 2003; 9:42 AM | The Associated Press

[FreedomCalls]

SARASOTA, Fla. - A retired schoolteacher who went to Iraq to serve as a "human shield" against the U.S. invasion is facing thousands of dollars in U.S. government fines, which she is refusing to pay.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury said in a March letter to Faith Fippinger that she broke the law by crossing the Iraqi border before the war. Her travel to Iraq violated U.S. sanctions that prohibited American citizens from engaging in "virtually all direct or indirect commercial, financial or trade transactions with Iraq." ...

Fippinger, who returned home May 4, is being fined at least $10,000, but she has refused to pay. She could face up to 12 years in prison.

In her response to the charges, she wrote the government that "if it comes to fines or imprisonment, "please be aware that I will not contribute money to the United States government to continue the buildup of its arsenal of weapons." Since she won't pay, she said, "perhaps the alternative should be considered." ...

If Fippinger does not pay, the fine may increase, and the money will be drawn from her retirement paycheck, her Social Security check or any of her assets, officials said.

"She was (in Iraq) in violation of U.S. sanctions," said Taylor Griffin, a Treasury Department spokesman. "That's what happens."

Shortly before the U.S. invasion in March, Fippinger was one of several dozen human shields scattered around a refinery in Baghdad. ...

[FreedomCalls]

She should have her Social Security payments garnished until she pays up.

[CindyDawg]

Nah, just give her what she thinks she wants. Send her to jail.

[xrp]

Cool, the United States is finally punishing citizens for stupidity. Finally!

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

I saw her on the news.......

She looks like a Cardassian..........

What a friggin neck!!!!!!!

[At _War_With_Liberals]

If 300 out of 300 human shields were never actually human shields in practice...doesn't that make the noble HS argument BS?

They are straight up traitors posing as some kind of humanitarians.

[Burkeman1]

Has this been posted already or did I just read it on Drudge?

[peter the great]

You beat me to it. ysentiments exactly.

[martin_fierro]

Old AND foolish.

[Khurkris]

Public service sentence. Something like 4,000 hrs doing clean up in a VA Hospital.

[cake_crumb]

"please be aware that I will not contribute money to the United States government to continue the buildup of its arsenal of weapons"

Hmmmmm, then I guess she doesn't pay taxes. What a moronic thing to say.

Garnishe her SS check. DON'T send her to jail. She obviously drools over the idea of being a political prisoner. She probably drools anyway. Talks like she's brain dead.

I admire Jeb even more for his revamping of the school system. He obviously had his work cut out for him. If this idiot taught school in Florida, she's exhibit "A". She can't even structure a complete sentence!

[I still care]

She's not going to get much sympathy in Sarasota. That's Katherine Country.

[cake_crumb]

"She looks like a Cardassian.........."



One of Saddam's paid volunteers, retired schoolmarm Faith Fippinger was one the lucky few rewarded with voucher for a complimentary "glamor photo" by Saddam's thugs for her help in rounding up school kids to fill Saddam's newest children's prison in Baghdad.

"I rounded up the most, because I know how the little b@stards think" she said. All children should be rounded up and kept in prison where they can stay out of the grownups' hair and be tortured when they misbehave."

Asked about her glamor photo she gushed: "I am SO thrilled! I was treated like a movie star! With all the makup, I look twenty years younger!"

[LibKill]

How has she lived so long?

Stupidity used to be a fatal disease.

[FreedomCalls]

Ann Coulter has a word to describe these people:

[Agnes Heep]

Eek. She looks like she got into a hatchet fight without a hatchet.

[JHrules]

Don't garnish just take the whole dang thing, and then take her bank accounts and retirement, and take all of her estate/personal possesions, and send her to jail. She obiously does not want to be an american or like being in America, so take her out of the equation.

[Dutchgirl]

A retired schoolteacher who went to Iraq to serve as a "human shield" against the U.S. invasion...

Oe more reason to homeschool- as if one were needed.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

You are all close, but miss the point. She doesn't want to be part of the US or respect our laws.

The correct solution is to send her to an Iraqi prison.

At the very least, she should be back in Iraq with her pals.

[night reader]

Looks like I'm gonna be all alone on this one. Now don't get me wrong; I think she is a traitor and should pay the full penalty provided by the law... up to the firing squad had she remained at her station after the war started, but...

From what I've heard, this is some kind of civil fine imposed by the State Department. Not their business. State is part of the executive; not the judicial. She should be tried in a legitimate court of law (again, military tribunal is OK if she remained in Iraq after start of hostilities) and only if convicted, faced the full imposition of legal penalties. I believe the current imposition of fines to be extra-constitutional, if not outright un-constitutional!

Am I wrong?

[Uncle Miltie]

Can't we send her to the Yakima firing range for more target practice? Apparently she didn't shield well enough.

Practice makes perfect!