Human Shields in Baghdad Say They Sense Success

Reuters ^ | 04/04/03 | Khaled Yacoub Oweis

[What Is Ain't]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Foreigners acting as "human shields" in Baghdad said on Friday they sense success in their mission to preserve vital facilities in the Iraqi capital.

The Western volunteers, who hope the war in Iraq is now entering its final stages, believe their presence at water and power plants around Baghdad since before the war began has prevented U.S. and British planes bombing the facilities.

"The plants we are staying at have not been bombed so far," Ingrid Termert, a retired teacher from Sweden, told Reuters in the Iraqi capital.

"Water and power in Basra have been hit in the first days of the war, putting 100,000 children in danger," she said, referring to the southern Iraqi city which has no human shields.

Basra has been bombarded repeatedly and has lacked basic services for almost two weeks, leading to international concern about the well-being of its population.

The United States and Britain have said they will do all they can to prevent civilian casualties and suffering.

Most of the hundreds of volunteers who came to Iraq before the invasion on March 20 to try to protect the country's infrastructure have left. Some were frightened or were expelled by the government, which doubted their intentions.

But Termert and several dozen others have stayed, despite the bombardment of Baghdad which Iraqi officials say has killed hundreds of civilians.

"We came here to prevent the war and when this did not succeed we stayed at these sites to protect civil society. The Iraqi people have been fantastic. They are the reason we stay," Termert said.

The government has allowed the volunteers to sleep at power and water plants, and at the Doura oil refinery on the outskirts of the capital. They venture out during the day but return to sit out the bombardment which intensifies at night.

During the Gulf War in 1991, the United States destroyed most of Iraq's infrastructure. It took Iraqis years to rebuild on their own.

In this war, U.S. raids on Baghdad have mostly targeted government and security buildings and communication centers. Washington has said it wanted to preserve the country's infrastructure to lessen the burden of rebuilding.

But civilian casualties have risen as the bombardment of the city intensified. U.S. troops are now closing in on the capital and have captured its main airport.

Power was cut off from Baghdad on Thursday. The U.S. military denied its air raids had cut the power supply.

U.S. and British officials advised the human shields to leave Iraq before the start of the war.

John Richardson, a volunteer from London, said the United States would risk losing international support if it damaged Baghdad's infrastructure.

"They would not have a problem in the coming days in knocking out whatever they want using whatever method. Our sprit remains very high. We did not fall apart when the bombs were falling," Richardson said.

"We are ordinary people who do not want America to rule the world," he said.

[GunRunner]

If we didn't bomb those facilities, we had no intention of doing so anyway. The human shields are irrelevent.

[ambrose]

It is hard to believe that people can be this stupid.

[ElephantMan]

Can you say, "delusional"?

[dts32041]

We missed a chance to clean up the gene pool.

[David Isaac]

Are these people totally braindead? The only thing the Iraqis have to fear is the Iraqis themselves, and those fools who aid them, unwittedly or half-wittedly.

[DoughtyOne]

I just think it's terribly considerate of them to save us the cost of the munitions to take them out. BTW, does victory for Hussein supporters aways smell like exploded plastic explosives, or does it have a number of odors.

[Gefreiter]

"We are ordinary people who do not want America to rule the world,"

Exactly. We would all be much happier under Islamic rule from Mecca.

[EggsAckley]

Our sprit remains very high.

Not sure if this is my favorite line, or the one below.

"We are ordinary people who do not want America to rule the world," he said.

[Only1choice____Freedom]

It's all about you isn't it!!???

What a bunch of self centered children.

I wonder how the ones at the electrical plant felt when the Iraqi's blew it up.

[Rammer]

I would just like to add that my efforts at keeping elephants away from my house have been immensely successful, too.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

I wonder why there aren't any human shields willing to protect coalition soldiers at checkpoints in Iraq?

[Only1choice____Freedom]

>>"We are ordinary people who do not want America to rule the world," he said."

Spoken like a true Taliban Johnny.

[jriemer]

Apparently, the Human Shields haven't run out of their supply of the "good stuff" while in Baghdad.

[EggsAckley]

Yes, and I'm the one who keeps any airplane I'm on from crashing. The passengers should all thank me for praying harder than anyone. LOL!

[VRWC_minion]

They had nothing to do with it. I did. I used my superior powers of mental telepathy to make the bombs and missles miss these targets.

[twigs]

Public school students today are taught to create their own world, their own reality. These folks are doing just that.

[DeuceTraveler]

Trying not to vomit...
Trying not to vomit...
Trying not to vomit...
Trying not to vomit...
Trying not to vomit...
Oops... too late...

[SouthernFreebird]

The absolute arrogance is mind blowing....they believe they are so much more important to the world than the Iraqis.