**8 Japanese Human Shields Ordered to Hotel in Baghdad** ("What's Up The Sleeve?"-Alert)

Kyodo News (via Japan News Today) ^ | 8 April 2003 | Kyodo News (via Japan News Today)

[AmericanInTokyo]

Title: ***Eight Japanese Human Shields Ordered to Hotel in Baghdad***

Monday, April 7, 2003 at 06:22 JST Kyodo News

AMMAN — Eight Japanese human shields at a water-purification plant in Baghdad were ordered by Iraqi authorities to move to a hotel in the center of the city on Friday night, local sources said Sunday.

The eight wanted to remain at the plant but Iraqi authorities would not allow them to do so citing security reasons, the sources said. The plant is located about 10 kilometers south of the center of the city.

The move appears to be intended to keep the human shields away from conflict as substantial U.S. forces supported by tanks and armored vehicles entered the heart of Baghdad on Saturday from the southwestern district near the plant.

It was not immediately known whether the eight, including 31-year-old Yasuyuki Aizawa from Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, and 46-year-old Yuichi Sugimoto from Niigata, remained at the hotel Saturday night or returned to the plant, according to the sources.

In Tokyo on Sunday, meanwhile, Senior Vice Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said 11 Japanese human shields in Baghdad were all safe as of Saturday evening Japan time.

Jamila Takahashi, a civic group representative who is in Iraq, also called a supporter in Japan early Sunday morning, saying the 11 were all safe, the supporter quoted her as saying.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the number of Japanese nationals in Iraq dropped to 37 as of Sunday, as one journalist who was in northern Iraq left.

A ministry official said contacting Japanese nationals in Iraq is becoming more difficult as the ministry is having trouble assessing the local situation. (Kyodo News)

[Mister Baredog]

It was not immediately known whether the eight remained at the hotel Saturday night or returned to the plant.

DARWIN ALERT!!!

[firewalk]

bttt

[demnomo]

Or they didn't want any witnesses when they tampered with the water supply.

Yikes! The Ba'athist scum just might do that and blame it on the mercenary invaders. Al Jazeera, Reuters and Peter Jennings will report it as yet another example of American autrocities against the Iraqi people. This is not good.

[sharktrager]

I wonder if they were moved so Saddam's boys could tamper with the water treatment system, and maybe add some poisons.

[DonQ]

I suspect that these volunteers were moved to a hotel in order to keep them alive. A hotel is not a desirable military target ... at least it wouldn't be targeted deliberately, ditto with orphanages, schools and hospitals, the places the volunteers wanted as their postings. Since the military wouldn't deliberately waste a bomb on an orphanage, it made sense to everyone (except the volunteers) to have them posted at someplace that was attractive as a military target.

But these volunteers may have been moved to safety because the Iraqis - at least the ones who removed these volunteers - anticipate losing and don't want the additional trouble of being charged with the deaths of these non-Iraqi civilians.

[Steven W.]

The move appears to be intended to keep the human shields away from conflict

Are reporters really this stupid? I know, that's easy.

[browardchad]

This is from the AFP, so it may not be accurate, but it is odd:

Fierce clash around hotel

08apr03

FIGHTING was raging in the area of Baghdad's landmark al-Rashid hotel, which has been cordoned off by Iraqi fighters, hours after a US raid on the nearby presidential palace, AFP correspondents said.

Iraqi paramilitary fighters were seen firing assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades from different angles toward the area of the al-Rashid, they said.

It was not clear who was returning fire, as the entire neighbourhood has been cordoned off by Iraqi forces since the lightning raid in the morning by US forces on the Republican Palace compound in central Baghdad.

Two abandoned police cars damaged by shelling were seen on the corner of a road leading to the hotel.

A green civilian car was also damaged from shelling a few metres away, at the entrance of the al-Alawi bus station which has been empty since the morning amid US forces' onslaught.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The Rashid Hotel has long been the residence of foreign dignitaries and journalists in Baghdad.

It became famous after the 1991 Gulf War for a mosaic portrait of the former US president George Bush set into the entrance, forcing all visitors to walk over his face.

Most journalists have left the Rashid Hotel for security reasons amid the week-old US and British offensive to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

[AmericanInTokyo]

I don't give them the moral benefit of that doubt.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Rashid or Palestine, one of the two.

[browardchad]

The AP is reporting that Fedayeen paramilitary fighters prevented journalists from leaving the Palestine Hotel today. Perhaps this is hostage-central?

[CatoRenasci]

I dont' think Saddam is there, but perhaps one of the secret exits from the Bunker and Tunnel system is under the Rashid Hotel.

[jerseygirl]

"Most journalists have left the Rashid Hotel for security reasons"...whereas saddam wouldn't have to, since he's in a bunker.

[taxcontrol]

Another possible spin:

Shields were moved so the Iraqis could damage the water plant without witnesses

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

" I might want to reconsider this Human Shield gig"

[AmericanInTokyo]

or both. they could be doing a win-win (for themselves) here. send the shields to someplace provocative or dangerous so they are killed or become chips, at the same time, poison the water supply without witnesses. good point. i don't like what i am hearing from Japan on it, combined with the other stuff........

[johnb838]

There isn't any running water at present I don't believe... which means nothing except I'd be real leery if the water suddenly came back on.

[Grampa Dave]

Geez, there was running water yesterday in Soddomite's private bathroom in his former palace.

[jerseygirl]

great pic!

[atomic conspiracy]

These creeps are enemy combatants and war criminals, they should get no consideration at all. To borrow from my tagline, they are roadkill.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

They don't want them to see the water being poisoned.