Saddam 'Could Send Human Tide Against Allies'

Ananova ^ | 4-4-2003

[blam]

Saddam 'could send human tide against Allies'

The leader of British forces in the Gulf has warned the Iraqi regime could employ human shields, forcing civilians to march on the airport taken by Allied troops.

His comments follow a statement from Iraqi information minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf that a non-conventional act would be carried out against coalition forces.

Responding to the threat in an interview with BBC 2's Newsnight Air Marshal Brian Burridge suggested the regime might try to use civilians as human shields in an attempt to re-take the airport.

He told the programme: "It's quite difficult to judge. We have seen quite a lot of this sort of thing before, but certainly we take note of what he has to say.

"An attack with chemical or biological weapons - that would have very serious consequences for the regime in that it would be met with a proportional response and those responsible would be held to account.

"Secondly, he could use a human tide and we had signs last night that there were loudspeakers in south-west Baghdad signalling people should rise up and march on the airport.

"On the one hand you could say when Saddam and his regime feel the game is up they may lash out in revenge.

"On the other hand there has to be a command and control system to use such weapons and it may be some of those in it will be disinclined to carry out their orders because they know they will be held to account."

Air Marshal Burridge said the Iraqi forces had been taken by surprise by the speed of the Allied advance and that Allied forces were, in turn, surprised by the lack of resistance.

He told Newsnight: "They weren't able to cope and comprehend what was going on. There have been pockets of resistance and there continue to be at the airport, but nothing like what we expected. The Republican Guard just didn't show."

Story filed: 22:32 Friday 4th April 2003

[goldstategop]

Its nearly daybreak and I'm still waiting for the HT to show up at the airport.

[Aria]

There is always tear gas.

[Howlin]

I "could be" Elizabeth Taylor, but I'm not.

Don't wait up.

[blam]

"There is always tear gas."

I believe the use of tear gas is outlawed by the Geneva Convention.

[Boundless]

> ... use of tear gas is outlawed by the Geneva Convention.

So is the use of human shields.

When confronted with a war crime, the need to protect the
innocent takes priority over strict adherence to an
agreement that one side has clearly abrogated.

Of course, we'd have to have crowd-control materials on
hand, and I doubt that they are there yet.

[Conservababe]

I heard on another thread that Clinton signed an executive order disallowing the use of tear gas describing it as a WMD.

[i_dont_chat]

I didn't hear the fake Saddam give the fake speech.

Did he really call the enemy troups "Allies"? Is that what the troops were called in 1991? Unless I hear him say "Coalition", I'd say that he isn't here among the living.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

[grobdriver]

Its nearly daybreak and I'm still waiting for the HT to show up at the airport.

Nearly daybreak?
I believe it is 3:30 AM Baghdad time.
No?

[Amerigomag]

Its nearly daybreak and I'm still waiting for the HT to show up at the airport

It's unlikely that such a public relations manuever would be carried out in the dark.

First thing to look for if such an attack is planned is the appearence of Al'Jazeera mobile satelite trucks just outside the perimeter fence. Once the broadcast equipment is set up then the parade will begin.

[expatpat]

But so is the use of civilian human shields.

[Company Man]

You are off by one hour.

[blam]

"First thing to look for if such an attack is planned is the appearence of Al'Jazeera mobile satelite trucks just outside the perimeter fence. Once the broadcast equipment is set up then the parade will begin."

Yup. They're dying to broadcast a massacre.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

[Aaron0617]

Its nearly daybreak and I'm still waiting for the HT to show up at the airport.

c'mon Baghdad Bob its almost daylight. WHERE ARE MY MARTYRS??!!

Baghdad Bob is on C-Span right now.

[Paleo Conservative]

I don't consider Ananova to be authoritative on any topic, especially military matters.

[Restorer]

I suspect gunships would do a dandy job of disrupting the enforcers behind the "human wave."