British 'Human Shield' Says Saddam Must Be Disarmed

Reuters ^ | September 17, 2002

[Shermy]

LONDON (Reuters) - Eleven years after he refused to sit on Saddam Hussein's knee for the television cameras, British teen-ager Stuart Lockwood says the Iraqi leader is a dangerous man who must be disarmed.

As one of 1,200 British "human shields" held in Iraq in the build-up to the Gulf War, the five-year-old Lockwood was ushered in to see the Iraqi President in a carefully stage-managed meeting.

He was seen on television screens around the world being questioned by Saddam about how he and his family were being looked after by the authorities. Saddam patted Stuart's head and ruffled his hair to the boy's obvious discomfort.

Lockwood, now 16, recalled in an interview with The Sun newspaper: "There were 10 other children there but he singled me out straight away.

"He wanted me to sit on his lap so he could be filmed as a kindly father who should not be feared. I refused to go near him."

Lockwood, whose father was working as an electronics engineer in Kuwait, said he instinctively shrank away. "I think most five-year-olds would have done the same. After all, he was a stranger and not a very nice one."

Stuart was able to leave Iraq with his mother Glenda shortly after the television appearance when Saddam said all women and children could be freed.

He was reunited with his father Derek when all foreigners held in Iraq since the invasion of Kuwait were allowed to go.

Reflecting a decade later on the current crisis, Lockwood told the tabloid: "I worry about what biological and other weapons of mass destruction Saddam may have. He is a dangerous man and I believe he really might use them. He does have to be disarmed."

[Shermy]

[My2Cents]

That stunt by Saddam was a signular example of child abuse.

[KC_Conspirator]

I totally remember that incident. That kid was utterly scared, and rightly so, of that murdering animal.

[Registered]

[Notforprophet]

Welcome back!

[MadIvan]

I totally remember that incident. That kid was utterly scared, and rightly so, of that murdering animal

I remember yelling at the television: "You are DEAD, Saddam! DEAD!"

That affront to Britain should have been paid for in Saddam's blood.

Regards, Ivan

[Argus]

It's a remarkably consistent feature of dictators that they like to be photographed with little kids. Hitler and Stalin were big on this practice as well. The subliminal message is invariably sinister - obey me or the kid gets it.

[Robert_Paulson2]

inspectors = hostages

If I were sadamned insane, I would be asking for inspectors/hostages to be sent in poste haste too...

NOT to worry though... kofi anan has promised to send him some for use as human shields to block USA + Brits coming invasion and destruction of his WMD's. Kofi will see to it that inspectors/hostages will start being deliverd to sadamned insane's regime in less than two weeks... JUST in time to try and block the coming invasion...

Hope bush took this into account. I cannot imagine that his crew of advisors did not consider the likelihood of this type of "Unconditional Offer" from sodamned insane...

"Unconditional" that is, as long as we only inspect NON civilian areas... the baby milk and phony pharmaceutical factories of course, will be strictly out-of-bounds.

[My2Cents]

Who's that guy with his hand on Elian's shoulder? Kofi Annan?

[Skwidd]

Saddam Must Be Disarmed

And dis-legged, and punctured, and burned, and spit on...and maybe a close shave, too.

[Paleo Conservative]

Is that Kofi Annan behind Elian?

[Hugin]

It's a remarkably consistent feature of dictators that they like to be photographed with little kids. Hitler and Stalin were big on this practice as well. The subliminal message is invariably sinister - obey me or the kid gets it.

More basic than that, they are projecting themselves as the ultimate father figure who must be loved, respected, feared and obeyed, and from whom all good things flow.

[Dubya]

Bump for Stuart Lockwood

[Traitain]

Heh, heh is that a...er...Red Coat I see in the background? Maybe it's not too late to take back the "colonies"? ;0)

Traitain