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

Skip to comments.

'Human Shield' Volunteers Out of Iraq
AP | 3/12/03

Posted on 03/13/2003 12:00:31 AM PST by kattracks

AMMAN, Jordan March 12

Five volunteers who went to Iraq to serve as "human shields," including two Americans, were forced out of the country because they were critical of the government's choice of sites to protect, the head of the group said Wednesday.

They had chosen locations "essential to the civilian population," such as food storage warehouses and water and electricity facilities, said Ken O'Keefe, of Haleiwa, Hawaii.

But the Iraqi government wanted the shields in more sensitive locations, he said. He did not elaborate, but some earlier activists have also left Iraq, reportedly after being told they would be posted at potentially strategic targets, such as oil refineries and power plants.

"They removed us from the sites we had chosen because we were critical of the integrity and the autonomy of the Iraqi authorities," said O'Keefe, 33. "I was escorted by Iraqi intelligence officers to the border, because I say what I believe and the Iraqi government wants submissive easy robots."

The other four deported with O'Keefe were American John Ross, Eva Mern from Slovenia, Gordan Sloan from Australia, and Tolga Temugi from Turkey.

"The Iraqi government was acting absolutely very stupid," O'Keefe said, dressed in a long Arabic dishdasha robes while talking to The Associated Press at a small hotel in downtown Amman. "If they had only cooperated and let us do part of what we wanted to do, we could have worked with them also to protect these sites and we would have brought in more people to stay."

"I certainly have no great admiration for Saddam Hussein, I was only going to help the people," he said, blaming the plight of the Iraqis on the previous American governments that supported Saddam.

Over 100 people from around the world have gone to Iraq as human shields and the Iraqi government has made visa issuance and extensions more convenient to accommodate them.

Seven more peace activists from the Iraq Peace Team, a project of the activist group Voices in the Wilderness are set to leave Amman for Baghdad on Thursday to join other IPT members.

"This delegation may be the last IPT team to get into Baghdad prior to full-scale war," said the head of the delegation, Shane Claiborne, 27, from Philadelphia.

About 17 Egyptian doctors, pharmacists and lawyers who arrived in Amman on Wednesday will be leaving in few days to Baghdad to serve as human shields, visit hospitals to assess their medicine storage and offer other support.

A group of 14 Jordanian unionists of different professions will also join the mission.



TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-55 next last

1 posted on 03/13/2003 12:00:31 AM PST by kattracks
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: kattracks
LOL!
2 posted on 03/13/2003 12:08:18 AM PST by patriciaruth
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kattracks
I -- I don't even know where to begin.

Oh, OK ... I'll begin here.

"The Iraqi government was acting absolutely very stupid," O'Keefe said, dressed in a long Arabic dishdasha robes

3 posted on 03/13/2003 12:11:41 AM PST by TenaciousZ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kattracks
Our bombs are "smart", but I serioiusly doubt that they have been educated as to the names and nationalities of idiots who would place themselves in front of Saddam's "baby-food factories".

Perhaps it's just as well that after the bombing starts, the world will be plagued with a few less idiots.

4 posted on 03/13/2003 12:12:45 AM PST by bjcintennessee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bjcintennessee
We got stuff now, like you used to see in Bugs Bunny cartoons...

these bombs are so smart, they knock on the door...

and ask who's home!!!

5 posted on 03/13/2003 12:24:10 AM PST by Nitro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Nitro

6 posted on 03/13/2003 12:26:00 AM PST by Howlin (Only UNamericans put the UN before America!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: kattracks
I see that fool stomping his feet, shouting "you're stupid!" and "you're an idiot!" NYAH! So how old is he really? Mentally I'm guessing the number 5....
7 posted on 03/13/2003 12:26:27 AM PST by JoJo Gunn (Help control the Leftist population. Have them spayed or neutered....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kattracks
LOL...thanks for the amusement, kattracks, just what I needed at this moment.

risa

8 posted on 03/13/2003 12:28:17 AM PST by Risa
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kattracks
"If they had only cooperated and let us do part of what we wanted to do, we could have worked with them also to protect these sites and we would have brought in more people to stay."

Oh poor thangs .. Saddam won't cooperate

BTW .. they weren't forced out .. they could have stayed

Just not were it was safe ...

9 posted on 03/13/2003 12:29:48 AM PST by Mo1 (RALLY FOR AMERICA - VALLEY FORGE,PA MARCH 16, 2003 1:00 PM)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kattracks
Oh, MAN! O'Keefe was the loser little punk who started yelling at E.D. Hill on Fox-N-Friends when she asked, "Don't you think that you should be tried for treason?"

I hope they toss his butt in a deep hole!
10 posted on 03/13/2003 12:29:50 AM PST by RandallFlagg ("There are worse things than crucifixion...There are teeth.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RandallFlagg
He's so crazy even Saddam kicked his sorry butt out; he'll never live that one down!
11 posted on 03/13/2003 12:30:55 AM PST by Howlin (Only UNamericans put the UN before America!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: patriciaruth
How stupid are these people anyway? DUH!!!(see below from Ken O'Keefe's diary)...

I'm staying in a double room at the two-star Hotel Andalus in the middle of Baghdad. By Western standards it's below par--the carpets are really dirty--but as far as I'm concerned it's pretty comfortable, especially after sleeping on the floor of a freezing bus. The Iraqi government has supplied us all with accommodation at one of three city-centre hotels: even though some people had brought tents, the government wouldn't allow us to use them. It costs those of us who are paying our way about $30 a night, an expense none of us wanted to incur; we didn't come to Iraq to stay in hotels

More...Live from Bagdad

12 posted on 03/13/2003 12:31:06 AM PST by kcvl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Howlin
Word has it that ol' Ken has a little warrant out for his arrest.
No wonder he left the country...
13 posted on 03/13/2003 12:32:33 AM PST by RandallFlagg ("There are worse things than crucifixion...There are teeth.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: kattracks
boohoo, I just came over here to help the people, you know I'm not a political type beyond the extent that I had Republicans running the US... but the bad Iraqi Intelligence guys won't let me come here and do what I want... and, and, gosh, maybe the Republican's running our government were right???
14 posted on 03/13/2003 12:33:07 AM PST by Jumper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RandallFlagg
He renounced his citizenship....where will he go now? (I hope it's Iran or North Korea!.....LOL)
15 posted on 03/13/2003 12:33:20 AM PST by Howlin (Only UNamericans put the UN before America!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: kattracks

Ken O'Keefe, an ex US Marine who fought in the Gulf War speaks to media in downtown Milan, Italy, Friday, Jan. 31, 2003 before boarding one of the three double-decker buses with volounteers that are to travel to Iraq where they are determined to act as human shields. Some 100 volounteers are travelling overland via various European cities to Baghdad, where they are expected to arrive on Feb. 7. Tattoo on his hand reads: "USA ex patriot". Members of the Truth Justice Peace Human Shield Action Group areprotesting against a possible war with Iraq. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

16 posted on 03/13/2003 12:33:46 AM PST by kcvl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Howlin
Too funny for words ! LOL
17 posted on 03/13/2003 12:34:03 AM PST by nopardons
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: kcvl
Whining human shields!
18 posted on 03/13/2003 12:34:06 AM PST by Howlin (Only UNamericans put the UN before America!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Howlin
He renounced his citizenship....where will he go now?

Haven't you heard .. he lives in the Nation of Hawaii

19 posted on 03/13/2003 12:34:26 AM PST by Mo1 (RALLY FOR AMERICA - VALLEY FORGE,PA MARCH 16, 2003 1:00 PM)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Howlin
Personally, I hope he shows his stoopid face at the next Operation Infinite FReep I attend...

One can only dream.........
20 posted on 03/13/2003 12:34:30 AM PST by RandallFlagg ("There are worse things than crucifixion...There are teeth.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-55 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