Human shields ask Blair to avoid bombing them

Reuters ^ | March 20, 2003

[hippy hate me]

LONDON - Anti-war activists delivered a letter to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, urging him to avoid in the event of war bombing targets in Iraq where human shields are deployed.

The Human Shields Action group, which has about 100 international volunteers deployed in Iraq in a bid to deter military strikes, said it had asked Blair to avoid attacking sites where shields were based.

"The...sentiment which demands that, whatever our opinion about military actions, we should back our forces should also be applied to the human shields," Richard Scrase, director of the London-based Human Shields Action, said in a statement.

"In the event of war, we call on the public to support the brave men and women from Britain who have placed themselves in harm's way in order to try and protect the innocent people of Iraq."

The human shields, who have travelled to Iraq from several Western countries, have called for Blair and U.S. President George W. Bush to face trial for war crimes if they unleash military force on Iraq.

Around 120 human shields are still in Iraq, scattered around nine sites near Baghdad including an oil refinery, food silo, water treatment plant and power stations.

Five of the volunteers, including former U.S. marine Ken O'Keefe who helped bring dozens of people from Britain, were expelled from Iraq after clashing with authorities over the sites where the activists should be deployed.

The remainder said numbers were fluctuating as some returned home and others were still arriving to replace them.

[MEG33]

Isn't that special.

[VadeRetro]

"The...sentiment which demands that, whatever our opinion about military actions, we should back our forces should also be applied to the human shields," Richard Scrase, director of the London-based Human Shields Action, said in a statement.

No worries, mate! There's an agreement! The Americans will bomb the British human shields. The British forces will bomb the American human shields.

[steveegg]

They wouldn't be bombed if they weren't in Iraq.

[steveegg]

No worries, mate! There's an agreement! The Americans will bomb the British human shields. The British forces will bomb the American human shields.

Better results through proper planning :-)

[Hammerhead]

The human shields shouldn't so much worry about our but what the freed Iraqi people will do to them once they are released from the grip of Saddam who these sheilds seem hell bent on protecting.

[Hodar]

The Human Shields Action group, which has about 100 international volunteers deployed in Iraq in a bid to deter military strikes, said it had asked Blair to avoid attacking sites where shields were based.

No problem .... what militry target are you guarding? And where did you say you were again?

[OpusatFR]

Is it hubris or naivete?

[resistance]

Perhaps each of the human shields could be given a broadcasting GPS (targeting device) so that our smart weapons would know right where they are!

[hippy hate me]

I hope the Iraqi's spit on these idiots.

[Sofa King]

"No worries, mate! There's an agreement! The Americans will bomb the British human shields. The British forces will bomb the American human shields."

Nah, I think we should bomb our own. Seems the honorable thing to do.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Chihuahua version of Human Shield

[Paul Atreides]

Is it too late to send them a care package....

[valleygal]

Huh?????

[Cosmo]

Their still there after 8 p.m.? There's hope for our gene pool yet!

[Fraulein]

"where human shields are deployed."

LOL!

[Rocky]

A little physics lesson: Humans don't make very good shields. Should have stayed in school, fellas.

[Rocko]

But how can they be shields, if they don't get bombed? Isn't that the point?

[hippy hate me]

Too busy protesting....how ironic.

[big'ol_freeper]

Blair to human shields---"Where would you like your personal effects sent to?"