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Human shields warned over Iraq
The Courier mail - Australia ^
| 14 FEB 2003
| Editorial Staff
Posted on 02/14/2003 1:50:29 PM PST by vannrox
Human shields warned over Iraq 14feb03
AUSTRALIANS planning to become human shields in Iraq were foolish and might not be able to be evacuated if war broke out, a senior foreign affairs official has said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade warned its ability to help any Australian civilian wanting to leave Iraq during military conflict was very limited. "These people are, frankly, quite foolish for putting themselves in this position," Rod Smith, assistant secretary of DFAT's consular branch, said in response to a question from Labor's John Faulkner at a senate estimates committee. "If there was an Australian there as a human shield, then presumably that person is intent on remaining when conflict begins ... "If they change their mind and said 'I'm sorry I made a terrible mistake, get me out', we would obviously do what we could to get the individual out. "But it has to be understood that our ability to assist in those circumstances would be very, very limited and that is a point we need to reinforce." A former political adviser to the NSW government, Donna Mulhearn, has left Australia to join other so-called "human shields" opposed to any US-led invasion of Iraq. The human shield project has been organised by anti-war organisation Become the Change. Dozens of peace campaigners from Britain and the US plan to take part. Mr Smith said he knew of press reports about one Australian who had left for Iraq as a human shield, but the individual had not registered with the department. Mr Smith said he had held general talks with his US and UK counterparts over the human shield project. Australians now in Iraq with the United Nations would be covered by UN evacuation plans in the event of military conflict, Mr Smith said.
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TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: american; anti; antiwar; arab; australia; becomethechange; bio; bush; commies; darwinnominees; hate; human; iraq; nuclear; nutcases; saddam; shield; targets; terror; un; war; wtc
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Hum...
1
posted on
02/14/2003 1:50:30 PM PST
by
vannrox
To: vannrox
Foolish doesn't even begin to describe the actions of these people.
To: vannrox
Darwin awards, here we come!
What a bunch of maroons!
3
posted on
02/14/2003 1:54:57 PM PST
by
ecurbh
(Elen síla lúmenn omentielvo)
To: vannrox
Human shields should be treated with all the courtesy, respect and sympathy shown sand bags around a bunker-that is what they have chosen to become.
To hell with their traitorous hides, whether they be Americans or anyone else!
4
posted on
02/14/2003 2:02:09 PM PST
by
F.J. Mitchell
(Human sandbags are expendable.)
To: vannrox
, we would obviously do what we could to get the individual out. Why?
5
posted on
02/14/2003 2:04:45 PM PST
by
Brad’s Gramma
(See Grampa Dave's Tag Line)
To: F.J. Mitchell
Doesn't the bombing of an Iraqi WMD installation surrounded by human shields present the quintessential win-win situation?
6
posted on
02/14/2003 2:05:49 PM PST
by
Mr. Lucky
To: vannrox
What can you do about adults who willingly and foolishly place themselves in harms way. Absolutely nothing.
Reminds me of the idiots who would not evacuate Boloxi, MS when hurricane Cammille was bearing down. Emergency folks went from hotel room to hotel room, house to house getting the names of the next of kin. Over 200 perished.
To: vannrox
I believe the human shields are about to learn from the school of hard knocks that actions have consequences.
8
posted on
02/14/2003 2:10:05 PM PST
by
Hoverbug
(whadda ya mean, "we don't get parachutes"!?!)
To: vannrox
These idiots' actions are hilarious.
9
posted on
02/14/2003 2:16:18 PM PST
by
LaGrone
To: vannrox
SSsshhh! We're trying to keep this a secret. We're using it to thin out the weakest of the human race.
To: ecurbh
That's OK, let's get them out of the gene pool while we can.
11
posted on
02/14/2003 2:27:45 PM PST
by
luckodeirish
(Not very lucky today. But there is always tomorrow.)
To: vannrox
Those people have death wishes and are too chicken to off themselves, so they put a screen name on it, calling themselves human shields, and the media makes a big deal of it.
Dear human shields,
You mean nothing to anyone. I can't tell you to get a life because apparently you don't want one. I don't care. Sayonara and if you survive, don't bother coming back.
12
posted on
02/14/2003 2:28:34 PM PST
by
Lady Jag
(Googolplex Start Thinker of the Seventh Galaxy of Light and Ingenuity)
To: vannrox
We didn't help them get there and I don't think we should risk our military trying to help them get out. Let them find their own way home.
To: Commander8
FUTURE WORM FOOD....Food is Food...be they Iraqi, American or Aussie Baghdad Peace Shields
14
posted on
02/14/2003 2:29:55 PM PST
by
skinkinthegrass
(Just be because your paranoid,doesn't mean they aren't out to get you. :)
To: skinkinthegrass
I think they already ate all the worms in Iraq (except for Saddamn). We'll have to fly some in.
15
posted on
02/14/2003 2:33:18 PM PST
by
Lady Jag
(Googolplex Start Thinker of the Seventh Galaxy of Light and Ingenuity)
To: skinkinthegrass
But they can always go Soylent Green if they haven't already.
16
posted on
02/14/2003 2:33:57 PM PST
by
Lady Jag
(Googolplex Start Thinker of the Seventh Galaxy of Light and Ingenuity)
To: vannrox
"These people are, frankly, quite foolish for putting themselves in this position.."Here in lies our only real dilema in our Iraq policy. What to do with the human shields that the UN has now positioned in Iraq and how to convince the Security Council, especially the French, that sending more is cruel.
We aren't going to be deterred by the substantial and regretable possibilty of the loss of life of UN inspectors.
I'm keeping a sharp eye open for any excuse that removes UN weapons inspectors from Iraq in the next two weeks. I think everyone is hoping that Iraq will do something foolish which provides this excuse.
To: LaGrone
These idiots' actions are hilarious. These fools will be the first ones to duck when the rockets start falling.
18
posted on
02/14/2003 3:51:03 PM PST
by
kcordell
To: vannrox
The battle shouldn't be their biggest worry. If they survive
they will have to face the wrath of the liberated Iraqis.
To: vannrox
Do not risk the life of one soldier to rescue these idiots.
20
posted on
02/14/2003 4:18:57 PM PST
by
doug from upland
(May the Clintons live their remaining days in orange jumpsuits sharing the same 6 x 9 cell.)
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