Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Human shield Britons quit Baghdad
The Sunday Telegraph ^ | March 2, 2003 | Charlotte Edwardes

Posted on 03/01/2003 4:24:50 PM PST by MadIvan

Almost all of the first British "human shields" to go to Iraq were on their way home last night after deciding that their much-heralded task was now too dangerous.

Two red double-decker buses, which symbolised the hopes of anti-war activists when they arrived to a fanfare of publicity a fortnight ago, slipped quietly out of Baghdad on the long journey back to Britain.

Nine of the original 11 activists decided to pull out after being given an ultimatum by Iraqi officials to station themselves at targets likely to be bombed in a war or leave the country. Among those departing last night was 68-year-old Godfrey Meynell, a former High Sheriff of Derbyshire, who admitted that he was leaving out of "cold fear". He had been summoned, along with 200 other shields from all over the world, to a meeting at a Baghdad hotel yesterday morning.

Abdul Hashimi, the head of the Friendship, Peace and Solidarity organisation that is hosting the protesters, told the shields to choose between nine so-called "strategic sites" by today or quit the country.

The Iraqi warning follows frustration among Saddam Hussein's officials that only about 65 of the shields had so far agreed to take up positions at the oil refineries, power plants and water-purification sites selected by their hosts.

It heightened fears among some peace activists that they could be stationed at non-civilian sites. Mr Meynell and fellow protesters who moved into the power station in south Baghdad last weekend were dismayed to find it stood immediately next to an army base and the strategically crucial main road south to Basra. Iraqi officials said there was little point in guarding what they considered to be low-risk targets.

Iraq's decision to force the pace was welcomed by some of the 20 Britons remaining in Baghdad. "It's only fair," said Uzma Bashir, 32, a college lecturer who is one of the team leaders.

"We've come here as shields to defend sites and now the Iraqis are asking us to make our choice."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: baghdadorbust; bravelyranaway; chickens; coldfear; deployorleave; humanshields; iraq; makeyourtime; oncetwicetraitors; saddam; saddamszeros; setusupthebomb; targets; toodangerous; war; welcometoclubsaddam; youwantustodowhat
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 181-192 next last
To: MadIvan
Thanks, Ivan! Too too funny!
61 posted on 03/01/2003 4:59:57 PM PST by Amelia
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dog; AntiGuv
I've been wondering about Winnie's whereabouts also.
62 posted on 03/01/2003 5:00:43 PM PST by Mr. Mulliner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Guenevere
ping!
63 posted on 03/01/2003 5:01:16 PM PST by Dog (Who has the rusty tools...???)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: nutmeg
Ha Ha Ha Ha
64 posted on 03/01/2003 5:01:26 PM PST by evilC (Cluck Cluck Cluck)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
I hope they feel as stupid as they ARE!!
65 posted on 03/01/2003 5:01:34 PM PST by potlatch (Just think of it as "choosing to abort Saddam"! Dennis Miller)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
The delicious humor of “light dawning upon marble head” aside, the fact that Iraq is positioning these idiots anywhere should be enough to get an indictment on Dr Abdul Hashimi for war crimes.
66 posted on 03/01/2003 5:01:37 PM PST by NonValueAdded ("Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists." GWB 9/20/01)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
If their hygiene was as poor and they smelled as bad as the perpetual protesters who camped outside Greenham Common in the 1980s, the Iraqis likely asked them to leave.
67 posted on 03/01/2003 5:03:27 PM PST by Kevin Curry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
The panty shields are going to have to take the long way home. The Turkish border is sealed.
68 posted on 03/01/2003 5:03:50 PM PST by AF68
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BunnySlippers
#37

Good post. Now that this picture is on the web, their families can download it for posterity...after Godfrey Meynell and his team are gone from the gene pool.

5.56mm

69 posted on 03/01/2003 5:04:09 PM PST by M Kehoe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
What happened to the guy who burned his American passport and declared himself a "citizen of the World"? Last week I read in the Telegraph that he had been detained in Syria.

I love all the Telegraph coverage of the shields. No one else has told the truth about them.

70 posted on 03/01/2003 5:05:08 PM PST by Deb
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: EggsAckley
BTTT time
71 posted on 03/01/2003 5:06:39 PM PST by amom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
It reminds me of "Startrek". Startrek you say? What does this have to do with Startrek. Well let me explain. When the Enterprise (A US Vessel) wanted to fire on it's enemies, it had to lower it's shields first before it could fire. So now we are going to fire our weapons and the shields are coming down.

ROTFLOL

72 posted on 03/01/2003 5:07:49 PM PST by webber
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
How stupid. How cowardly. How...How... FRENCH!
73 posted on 03/01/2003 5:08:29 PM PST by Loyalist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
I wish to lodge a protest. It seems that a higher proportion of Brits are staying around to be slaughtered than Americans. That means that Britain's gene pool will benefit more than America's since your population is smaller. Oh the humanity!! (yuk,yuk)
74 posted on 03/01/2003 5:08:35 PM PST by driftless ( For life-long happiness, learn how to play the accordion.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
This sounds like something out of Monty Python.

Well, you wouldn' want ta be the 'uman shield when the shootin' starts...that would be dangerous now wouldn' it?

75 posted on 03/01/2003 5:09:00 PM PST by hometoroost
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
Nine of the original 11 activists decided to pull out after being given an ultimatum by Iraqi officials to station themselves at targets likely to be bombed in a war or leave the country. Among those departing last night was 68-year-old Godfrey Meynell, a former High Sheriff of Derbyshire, who admitted that he was leaving out of "cold fear". He had been summoned, along with 200 other shields from all over the world, to a meeting at a Baghdad hotel yesterday morning.

Well. well, well, welcome to Fear Factor IRAQ. It looks like it dawned on these dimwits at a rather late stage that they were really putting themselves in real danger.

76 posted on 03/01/2003 5:09:07 PM PST by Norman Arbuthnot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ewing
Buddy of mine travels in "Arab circles" ('cause he's A-Rab himself) and he says it's much safer to travel from Israel to Kuwait via Jordan to Saudi than it is via Iraq!

The reason is not all parts of Iraq, particularly the public highways, are fully under the control of the central government in Baghdad. As a result, if you travel outside of the cities on public roads you are likely to get attacked, robbed, murdered and disposed of.

77 posted on 03/01/2003 5:10:23 PM PST by muawiyah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: w1andsodidwe
"Must be like the new style hunger strikes where they alternate skipping meals, so no one has to go all day without eating."

Yep, it's a lot like the new style filibuster that's going on in the Senate.

78 posted on 03/01/2003 5:12:19 PM PST by fella
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
From Saturday Night Live's Deep Thoughts by "Jack Handey":

If you define cowardice as running away at the first sign of danger, screaming and tripping and begging for mercy, then yes, Mr. Brave man, I guess I'm a coward.

79 posted on 03/01/2003 5:13:19 PM PST by friendly
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fella
They need to be denied re-entry, and their citizenship revoked.

Let them wander the earth.
80 posted on 03/01/2003 5:13:24 PM PST by MonroeDNA (Leave the monkeys alone.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 78 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 181-192 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson