Bombs are frightening, South African human shield says

Independent Online, South Africa ^ | 3-24-03 | By Noor-Jehan Yoro Badat

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Three South African human shields, under tremendous pressure from their families, are trying to return home.

They said they had come to realise their presence would not stop the war.

However, the Iraq Action Committee's Abie Dawjee, speaking from his Baghdad hotel on Saturday, said: "We have settled in and are on our way mainly to the electricity sites, water filtration plants and food silos."

'We have settled in'

He and the rest of the group - among them lawyers and students - volunteered to be human shields at selected sites in Iraq. They arrived in Baghdad on Thursday.

Since the coalition forces started their air and land strikes and extensive bombing of Baghdad, the human shields from South Africa have faced huge family pressure to return home.

Dawjee said: "I spoke to one human shield's wife who was crying frantically. I guess there are certain realities to face when the bombs fall, and it shakes not only buildings but people's minds too."

He added that the morale of the rest of the South African human shields remained "pretty good".

"It is a very nerve-racking and tense period. When the bombs fall, we have to run down to the bomb shelters, and while sitting underground we are inclined to think of lots of things. We reflect on many issues and analyse the meaning of life, and these things catch up with some people.

'It is a very nerve-racking and tense period'

"There is also great apprehension in the air ... an eerie silence in the city most times," said Dawjee.

"It's very frightening with bombs falling close to our hotel. Some windows have been damaged and glass is lying everywhere, but most human shields, and the Iraqi people, are coping well in the war zone."

He added that the Iraqi people were in "very good spirits and ready to fight the enemy".

In a message to people back home, he said most of the human shields just wanted people to pray for them.

"While looking at the little box (television) in front of you, sitting scared out of your wits for our safety, remember it is scary - but the bigger picture is the actual bombardment in Iraq."

Mbulelo Mtilwa, first secretary at the South African embassy in Amman, Jordan, said three of the human shields were supposed to leave Amman for South Africa on Monday.

"Consular assistants are with these people right now to help them cross the border between Iraq and Jordan."

He said they were experiencing problems with their plane tickets, which had been kept by a humanitarian aid organisation and were not in their possession.

The other five had opted to stay by the Iraqi-Jordan border to help where they could. They would be living in a camp near the border, aiding humanitarian workers.

An Iraqi driver who took the eight to the border said they had spent two nights in Baghdad, where their hotel shook with each bomb blast, before deciding that their presence would not stop the war.

One of the human shields, Mohammed Suleiman, 45, had said: "If the bombing goes on, you are no more a human shield, you are going to commit suicide."

The rest of the 32 human shields plan to return to South Africa next Monday. Until then they will remain in Baghdad.

[Monty22]

Hate to say it, but it's probably safer in Baghdad now than in post-apartheid south africa.

[Pete'sWife]

Scary?

Yup.

But I see that this idiot is still able to tell about it.

[dennisw]

Does Saddam have any guest accommodations in his fuhrerbunker?

[Mr. Lucky]

They arrived in Baghdad Thursday. Not a brilliant sense of timing.

[shezza]

Hang on a tic...if he's a genuine human shield, what's he doing running to the bomb shelter when the bombs start falling? (What'll ya bet he believes his mere self-absorabnt presence is what is keeping the allies from targeting food storage units, schools, hospitals, and other civilian areas?

[petuniasevan]

They said they had come to realise their presence would not stop the war

Do ya THINK so???

Morons.

[mollynme]

He said they were experiencing problems with their plane tickets, which had been kept by a humanitarian aid organisation and were not in their possession.

Sounds like someone wants to turn them into martyrs.

[The Red Zone]

Yeah, guess who wins this game of chicken.

[The Red Zone]

Couldn't they just surrender?

[TontoKowalski]

Bombs are Frightening???

These folks are real brain surgeons, huh?

[The Red Zone]

Do they even know they are smartbombs?

[Destructor]

"Sounds like someone wants to turn them into martyrs."

We reap what we sow!

[steve in DC]

(What'll ya bet he believes his mere self-absorabnt presence is what is keeping the allies from targeting food storage units, schools, hospitals, and other civilian areas?)

What'll ya bet the mere presence of his self-absorbant Depends undergarments is the only thing that is standing between him and a completely soiled suitcase full of clothes?

[GirlShortstop]

One of the human shields, Mohammed Suleiman, 45,
had said: "If the bombing goes on, you are no more a
human shield, you are going to commit suicide."

Excuse me mister muhammaden, your religion's verbage is "martyr" or "jihadist".

[Samwise]

But...but...I didn't know they would use real bombs!

Idiots.

[NYCop]

Must be all the heat in South Africa, baked this guys noodle.

[thisiskubrick]

These human shields live in the land of "duh".

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

He could have said such but the reporter or editor probably reworded it to make him not look like such a Clymer.

[Blood of Tyrants]

When the bombs fall, we have to run down to the bomb shelters,

What? Holding hands, singing Kumbaya, and thinking of your happy place doesn't stop a 2000 lb bunker buster?