Birds in demand as Baghdad readies for war

Financial Tiames ^ | 3/8/03 | Nicolas Pelham

[T Ruth]

Baghdad's people delivered their own verdict on Hans Blix's report on Friday, thronging to the capital's bird-market to buy canaries - the only chemical weapons detector available to them.

"It's been the best day of the year," said a smiling Abu Mustafa, a French-trained pet-shop owner above the uproar of squawking birds. "I've sold over 300 canaries so far today, up from an average of 20."

Iraqis, said Mr Mustafa, were ready to pay $16 (€14.50, £10) a bird to help "test for pollution". "Should the air turn to a Chernobyl, canaries take just 10 minutes to die."

* * *

Many are convinced that war will begin on the eve of March 13, the climax of the Ashoura religious festival.

Meanwhile, amid the conspicuous countdown to war, more of the 200 western peace campaigners (pictured) who had travelled to Iraq declaring their readiness to die to protect civilian installations abandoned Iraqis to their fate.

* * *

Iraqi officials have also discovered that the ranks of human shields have included dozens of journalists, including a posse of reporters from London's Sunday Telegraph seeking to dodge the country's tight visa restrictions on the foreign press.

* * *

[T Ruth]

Ides of March, anyone?
Journalistic shields?
French-trained canary seller?

[InvisibleChurch]

Abu Mustafa, a French-trained pet-shop owner

Surrender is an art.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

"It's been the best day of the year," said a smiling Abu Mustafa, a French-trained pet-shop owner above the uproar of squawking birds.

Sounds like a French diplomat at the U.N....

[Howlin]

[Oldeconomybuyer]

...thronging to the capital's bird-market to buy canaries...

I did a complete Internet search to see if these exact words have been penned by any "journalist" in the history of mankind - and found they have not.

This journalist is The One.

[Ciexyz]

Surrender is an art.

Question: Why did they build the Chunnel under the English Channel?

Answer: To make it easier for the French government to flee to London.

[Ciexyz]

Did you know that French tanks are built with six gears - five in reverse so they can retreat, and one in forward, in case they get attacked from behind.

[patriciaruth]

I hear our troops have chickens for the same purpose. And if they don't die, you can always eat them.

[RipSawyer]

"I hear our troops have chickens for the same purpose. And if they don't die, you can always eat them."

I prefer my chickens to die before I eat them. I never could quite get up for that carnival geek trip.

[T Minus Four]

Should the air turn to a Chernobyl, canaries take just 10 minutes to die."

Just out of curiosity, what would the typical Iraqi DO after observing the death of his canary.

[GladesGuru]

That's devotion to one's job - imagine being a reporter and wanting to go to Iraq before the curtain rises! You may indeed get a scoop - or you may have to be scooped up along with the rest of the ashes.

More power to them, though. And would it be too much to hope some of them might not be socialism freaks or 'activism journalists'?

[Peter Libra]

Point is this. If only that section of the American press could get it through to these people this. The Americans love little children, pet dogs, old people, and even canarys, They just want to get rid of Saddam

Of course the beggars(Deluded peacenik press) just cannot see this. Go GWB go.