Human shield Britons quit Baghdad

The Sunday Telegraph ^ | March 2, 2003 | Charlotte Edwardes

[PayrollOffice]

Who is that in the picture? El Exigente?

[OBone]

Maybe they saw Rummys news conference?

OB

[way-right-of-center]

This situation does worry me a bit, in all honesty. Here's an interesting question... In WWII, when all the GIs returned to the states, the ensuing population explosion became the “baby boom” Do you thinks the Shields have been away from their villages long enough to spawn an “Idiot Boom” ?

That could be devastating to the balance of geo-politics.

[Exeter]

In poker terms, these clowns tried to buy the pot by threatening to be "human shields", but they realized that America and her allies wouldn't be bluffed, and when Hussein called their bet and raised it, they quickly folded.

Man, I wish I could get some of these spineless clods in an all-night card game! By sunrise I'd be out of debt..

[MarkL]

"Run AWAY!!!!"

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Mark

[MadIvan]

There's an even better sketch than that:

(Stock film of the army. Tanks rolling, troops moving forward etc. Stirring military music.)

Voice Over: In 1943, a group of British Army Officers working deep behind enemy lines, carried out one of the most dangerous and heroic raids in the history of warfare. But that's as maybe. And now . . .

(Superimposed Caption on Screen : 'AND NOW . . . UNOCCUPIED BRITAIN I970 - Cut to colonel's office. Colonel is seated at desk.)

Colonel (GRAHAM CHAPMAN): Come in, what do you want?

(Private Watkins enters and salutes.)

Watkins (ERIC IDLE): I'd like to leave the army please, sir.

Colonel: Good heavens man, why?

Watkins: It's dangerous.

Colonel: What?

Watkins: There are people with guns out there, sir.

Colonel: What?

Watkins: Real guns, sir. Not toy ones, sir. Proper ones, sir. They've all got 'em. All of 'em, sir. And some of 'em have got tanks.

Colonel: Watkins, they are on our side.

Watkins: And grenades, sir. And machine guns, sir. So I'd like to leave, sir, before I get killed, please.

Colonel: Watkins, you've only been in the army a day.

Watkins: I know sir but people get killed, properly dead, sir, no barley cross fingers, sir. A bloke was telling me, if you're in the army and there's a war you have to go and fight.

Colonel: That's true.

Watkins: Well I mean, blimey, I mean if it was a big war somebody could be hurt.

Colonel: Watkins why did you join the army?

Watkins: For the water-skiing and for the travel, sir. And not for the killing, sir. I asked them to put it on my form, sir - no killing.

Colonel: Watkins are you a pacifist?

Watkins: No sir, l'm not a pacifist, sir. I'm a coward.

Colonel: That's a very silly line. Sit down.

Watkins: Yes sir. Silly, sir. (sits in corner)

Regards, Ivan

[Happygal]

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant! :-)

[Overtaxed]

Just heard Fox news reporting that the human shields were leaving!

[PJ-Comix]

I went to Baghdad as a human shield and all I got was this lousy tee shirt with a target on it.

This sounds like a great premise for a The Simpson's episode where Homer and the family travel to Iraq as human shields mainly to get those kewl free T-shirts.

[ewing]

FOX and Friends loves reporting on the failure of the human shields.

I expect full reports all the way to GB. (maybe with a detour through France perhaps..)

[Tall_Texan]

"I'm a human shields...well, sorta human."

[Terriergal]

Almost all of the first British "human shields" to go to Iraq were on their way home last night after deciding that their much-heralded task was now too dangerous.

LOL!!!