Posted on 03/02/2003 1:05:46 AM PST by Martus
Human shield Britons quit Baghdad
By Charlotte Edwardes in Baghdad (Filed: 02/03/2003)
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."
Stupidly would be the appropriate modifier. I hope the ones who stay get their just desserts.
Ah, the educational value of field trips. When they were frothing at the mouth back home, they probably got their jollies accusing the U.S. of indiscrimately bombing civilian targets. Big applause line at the rallies and all that. That emotional orientation was probably the limit of their analysis when they got on the bus. Groupthink idiots.
Once again, there's no substitute for actually getting a look at what you're talking about. I'm surprised Saddam didn't ask them to sit with anti-aircraft batteries.
I think they've demonstrated that they are both!
"I'm not a human shield, but I play one on TV..."
Fits right in with the Hollywood idiots.
This is kinda funny. A proper human shield has a last name like Smith or Jones or Kaplan. This idiot needs to change his last name and possibly his religion and skin color if he aspires to be the sort of human shield that would matter to Western news viewers.
When this guy gets fried, nobody will know he was a "Briton" unless CNN puts it on a banner. Even then the impact of his name and photo won't cause much of a stir.
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