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Reporter flies home as human shields flee
Lincolnshire Echo - UK ^ | 3-4-03 | Brendan Montague

Posted on 03/05/2003 9:44:24 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer

The ideals of a peace mission fell apart when human shields from Iraq began to suspect their trip was "sponsored" by the Iraqi government.
Lincolnshire Echo reporter Brendan Montague travelled with local peace campaigner Dave Howarth, and explains how the penny dropped - and real fear set in.


Nobody thought that living in Iraq while it was bombarded was going to be easy.

But few of the human shields I met had given real thought to the fact they may not survive the coming weeks.

What they did not count on - and until the very last hours, refused to believe - was that their whole trip may have been planned by the Iraqi government.

When we crossed the border we were handed leaflets warning that we may be taken hostage by the government.

When our coach left Amman for the border last Monday, the human shields in our delegation were just starting to question the reality of entering Iraq. Some decided at the last minute not to go at all.

All the hotel and food bills were being paid for by the Iraqi Government. Our visas were processed in hours when for everyone else it was taking months, if at all.

Former college lecturer Dave Howarth said he had decided of his own free will to sleep at the South Baghdad Power Station because the electricity was essential for the civilian population.

We jumped in a taxi and within 30 minutes we were standing alone on the roof of the power station with the sound of industrial clatter ringing in our ears.

But even then, in private he told me he may move to a different site. He felt the entire area would be carpet bombed by the Americans - regardless of human shields.

Walking around Baghdad the next day was the strangest experience of my life. Here was a city under the very real threat of attack by Allied bombs.

Dave told me that he felt safer in Baghdad than Lincoln. Despite this, I booked myself on the next available flight out of the country.

Then 36 hours later everything changed.

Doubts about the credibility of Dr Abdul Hashimi's Friendship, Peace and Solidarity organisation which had invited the human shields to Baghdad, began to emerge.

Rumours reached their ears that it was actually the Iraqi Government that was behind their trip and not charity peace campaigners who had acted spontaneously.

They went into a blind panic. Nathan - who looked like he had not slept for days - bought a suit and hired a car, ready to make a break for the border.

He said: "I don't trust these people any more. I don't think we are going to be allowed to do what we want. I was here to meet the children and ordinary Iraqis. I don't want to go to a power plant."

Everyone's fears were flooding to the surface. Everyone wanted to get out.

Human shields were now discussing their anxieties openly. They whispered to each other about their methods of escape.

The next morning I arrived at the hotel lobby ready to leave. I found - for the first time - that the doors had been chained shut.

But the receptionist, who had been standing in the shadows, and who I did not recognise, let me out, padlocking doors behind me.

When I reached the airport my heart was pounding. Liberal bribes greased the wheels of my exit.

At every stage police officers, passport control and even a man who appeared to be the head of security called for "Bashish" - cash.

Once in the air I started to feel relief. An hour later I was sitting on a bed in a hotel in Amman. I was safe. I ordered tea and called the airline to book my flight back to Britain. I arrived back in Lincoln this morning.

None of the human shields who told me they wanted to flee Iraq have telephoned me since I left. I have not yet managed to speak to any of them.

Do you have a story about the regional press? Ring 0116 227 3122/3121, or
e-mail pastill@nep.co.uk


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: humanshields
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
"The ideals of a peace mission fell apart when human shields from Iraq began to suspect their trip was "sponsored" by the Iraqi government."

Personally, I believe that the "human shields" are just showing their true colors- YELLOW!

41 posted on 03/05/2003 10:12:22 AM PST by Destructor
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
"I don't trust these people any more."
This is priceless!! Is it possible that anyone could be so naive, so blind, so clueless? Did these blithering idiots really think that a murderous regime would have their best interests in mind? What fools!
"Blind panic set in." - my favourite line of the article.
I'll bet it did! This is what happens when you're guided by feelings rather than facts, and you believe that singing 'Kumbaya', or having a bunch of naked hippies spell words with their bodies, or your mere presence on Iraqui soil, will result in world peace. Realizing that you're about to be blown to bits by a B-52 must be a real downer, dude! This also tells me that in spite of the Left calling Bush a Nazi, they thought that they would be 'guarding' hospitals, and would therefore be safe, since they know that the US won't bomb civilian targets.
42 posted on 03/05/2003 10:14:06 AM PST by slane
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
"But even then, in private he told me he may move to a different site. He felt the entire area would be carpet bombed by the Americans - regardless of human shields."

Not 'carpet bombed'. It would have been one JADAM right on center mass!

43 posted on 03/05/2003 10:14:37 AM PST by Redleg Duke (Stir the pot...don't let anything settle to the bottom where the lawyers can feed off of it!)
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To: VRWCmember
Part of the problem with the human shields is they don't seem to be very well organized. They need an effective organization in order to have any real success. To be effective, a group needs a catchy name -- preferrably one that forms a good acronym. For the human shield organization, I recommend: Strategic Human Insertion Team: Fostering Obstruction, Resistance, & Barriers, Rejecting American Interests, & National Security.

This made me laugh so hard I almost choked.

God Bless

Mel

44 posted on 03/05/2003 10:14:53 AM PST by melsec (I hate war but it's time to roll!)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Where'd you get that sourcing? The Lincolnshire Echo is a pretty much backwoods paper. Used to be the local rag when I lived in the UK.
45 posted on 03/05/2003 10:15:36 AM PST by expatpat
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To: Noumenon
Exactly ... and the poor fools, either totally ignorant of history, or ambivalent towards it ... don't even see it coming until they are kneeling on the floor in the basement.

In this case, these idots are so screwed up that they are leaving few places that will allow them to act this way, and placing themselves into the belly of one of the very beasts that will use them up and consume them. Amazing!

But, such freedom is what we are constrained to defend against the very animals that would use these type of people.

46 posted on 03/05/2003 10:16:16 AM PST by Jeff Head
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To: VRWCmember
ROFLMAO!
47 posted on 03/05/2003 10:17:18 AM PST by Redleg Duke (Stir the pot...don't let anything settle to the bottom where the lawyers can feed off of it!)
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To: Kenton
No problem, he got what he came for, they probably let him keep the "human shield" t-shirt.

"I WENT TO IRAQ TO BE A HUMAN SHIELD AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS DAMN T-SHIRT"

48 posted on 03/05/2003 10:18:34 AM PST by mountaineer
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Nathan - who looked like he had not slept for days - bought a suit and hired a car, ready to make a break for the border.

He said: "I don't trust these people any more. I don't think we are going to be allowed to do what we want. I was here to meet the children and ordinary Iraqis. I don't want to go to a power plant."

In the words of Gomer Pyle, "SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE!"

49 posted on 03/05/2003 10:18:54 AM PST by paws_and_whiskers
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To: expatpat
I did a Google News search on "human shield". Click the source to view the website.
50 posted on 03/05/2003 10:22:27 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer (Let's Roll)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Unbelievable. "I don't trust these people anymore." No shiite, Sherlock. What did they expect? They're protecting an evil dictator. Did they really think Saddam cares a whit about their idiotic causes? Or about schools and hospitals?
51 posted on 03/05/2003 10:24:03 AM PST by Sender (-A strange game. The only winning move is not to play. -WOPR-)
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To: Kenton
Well, I will give him credit for getting out when the others he ws with either didn;t, wouldn;t or couldn;t.

"Chickening out" from such a foolish proposition is wise once you see the reality of the situation and recognize you are about to die for uteerly foolish, misbegotten and misdirected reasons.

However he came to it ... inspiration, cowardice, realization ... whatever. He did the best thing then possible, and apparently he has now wrtieen about how he was being used. Another good sign.

52 posted on 03/05/2003 10:25:28 AM PST by Jeff Head
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Has it occured to these morally obtuse people that there were 50,000 civilian "human shields" inside the World Trade Center, and that not only didn't it stop the Al-Qaeda, it was their very intention to murder as many of them as possible?
53 posted on 03/05/2003 10:26:33 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
He said: "I don't trust these people any more. I don't think we are going to be allowed to do what we want. I was here to meet the children and ordinary Iraqis. I don't want to go to a power plant."

Hey, what's so bad about Saddam giving you an all-expenses-paid vacation? You wanted to meet "ordinary Iraqis"? Did you happen to think maybe Mr. Hussein wouldn't want you to see what he is doing to "ordinary Iraqis"? Remember when he burned those oil fields after Desert Storm? Do you honestly think he'd care whether or not YOU burn to a crisp this time around?

I wish these useful idiots would talk to some of the few survivors who were FORCED to be human shields in 1991.

54 posted on 03/05/2003 10:30:21 AM PST by arasina
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
LOL!

The real value of this little article is its demonstration of exactly how modern liberals are wrong. These folks are actually shocked that Saddam Hussein is not reasonable and basically a nice fellow!

55 posted on 03/05/2003 10:31:08 AM PST by r9etb
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
OMG! This inflated ego THINKS he really is the President.

Please, Martin, go to Baghdad to keep the peace. Please!

vaudine
56 posted on 03/05/2003 10:33:00 AM PST by vaudine
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To: Howlin; Ed_NYC; MonroeDNA; widgysoft; Springman; Timesink; AntiGuv; dubyaismypresident; Grani; ...
But few of the human shields I met had given real thought to the fact they may not survive the coming weeks.

No, actually, all they said was (c'mon, say it with me!) "Hold muh beer 'n watch this!"


"Hold muh beer 'n watch this!" PING....

If you want on or off this list, please let me know!

57 posted on 03/05/2003 10:33:49 AM PST by mhking (Message to Axis of Weasels: Get in, sit down, shut up, & hold on...)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
But even then, in private he told me he may move to a different site. He felt the entire area would be carpet bombed by the Americans - regardless of human shields.

Nah, it won't be carpet bombed. A single Tommahawk ought to do it. Open wide!

58 posted on 03/05/2003 10:34:00 AM PST by Chairman_December_19th_Society (Conservatives aren't perfect, we're just right.)
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To: All
The human shields really are a bunch of dumb asses. Over the weekend, one of the network news programs showed a "Utopian Moment", broadcasting footage of the shields in a "moving" ceremony, floating lit candles down the Tigris with their counterparts from Iraq. These sappy, meaningless gestures are I'm sure of great comedic value for the Hussein regime. They have to look at these nitwits and think "I wish all Americans were like these doofuses".
59 posted on 03/05/2003 10:35:36 AM PST by WillVoteForFood
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To: dighton
Clears out? Heck, I hope she's hunkered down next to a bunker myself.
60 posted on 03/05/2003 10:47:41 AM PST by Tennessee_Bob (Dieses sieht wie ein Job nach Dringlichkeitshosen aus!)
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