The Human Shield Story

[PaulH]

I know that most of us already have an opinion on this war and do not like to change our viewpoint. Here is a refreshing change of viewpoint from a vocal, honest, soul-searching human shield man:

I was a naive fool to be a human shield for Saddam
By Daniel Pepper
(Filed: 23/03/2003)


I wanted to join the human shields in Baghdad because it was direct action which had a chance of bringing the anti-war movement to the forefront of world attention. It was inspiring: the human shield volunteers were making a sacrifice for their political views - much more of a personal investment than going to a demonstration in Washington or London. It was simple - you get on the bus and you represent yourself.

So that is exactly what I did on the morning of Saturday, January 25. I am a 23-year-old Jewish-American photographer living in Islington, north London. I had travelled in the Middle East before: as a student, I went to the Palestinian West Bank during the intifada. I also went to Afghanistan as a photographer for Newsweek.

The human shields appealed to my anti-war stance, but by the time I had left Baghdad five weeks later my views had changed drastically. I wouldn't say that I was exactly pro-war - no, I am ambivalent - but I have a strong desire to see Saddam removed.

We on the bus felt that we were sympathetic to the views of the Iraqi civilians, even though we didn't actually know any. The group was less interested in standing up for their rights than protesting against the US and UK governments.

I was shocked when I first met a pro-war Iraqi in Baghdad - a taxi driver taking me back to my hotel late at night. I explained that I was American and said, as we shields always did, "Bush bad, war bad, Iraq good". He looked at me with an expression of incredulity.

As he realised I was serious, he slowed down and started to speak in broken English about the evils of Saddam's regime. Until then I had only heard the President spoken of with respect, but now this guy was telling me how all of Iraq's oil money went into Saddam's pocket and that if you opposed him politically he would kill your whole family.

It scared the hell out of me. First I was thinking that maybe it was the secret police trying to trick me but later I got the impression that he wanted me to help him escape. I felt so bad. I told him: "Listen, I am just a schmuck from the United States, I am not with the UN, I'm not with the CIA - I just can't help you."

Of course I had read reports that Iraqis hated Saddam Hussein, but this was the real thing. Someone had explained it to me face to face. I told a few journalists who I knew. They said that this sort of thing often happened - spontaneous, emotional, and secretive outbursts imploring visitors to free them from Saddam's tyrannical Iraq.

I became increasingly concerned about the way the Iraqi regime was restricting the movement of the shields, so a few days later I left Baghdad for Jordan by taxi with five others. Once over the border we felt comfortable enough to ask our driver what he felt about the regime and the threat of an aerial bombardment.

"Don't you listen to Powell on Voice of America radio?" he said. "Of course the Americans don't want to bomb civilians. They want to bomb government and Saddam's palaces. We want America to bomb Saddam."

We just sat, listening, our mouths open wide. Jake, one of the others, just kept saying, "Oh my God" as the driver described the horrors of the regime. Jake was so shocked at how naive he had been. We all were. It hadn't occurred to anyone that the Iraqis might actually be pro-war.

The driver's most emphatic statement was: "All Iraqi people want this war." He seemed convinced that civilian casualties would be small; he had such enormous faith in the American war machine to follow through on its promises. Certainly more faith than any of us had.

Perhaps the most crushing thing we learned was that most ordinary Iraqis thought Saddam Hussein had paid us to come to protest in Iraq. Although we explained that this was categorically not the case, I don't think he believed us. Later he asked me: "Really, how much did Saddam pay you to come?"

It hit me on visceral and emotional levels: this was a real portrayal of Iraq life. After the first conversation, I completely rethought my view of the Iraqi situation. My understanding changed on intellectual, emotional, psychological levels. I remembered the experience of seeing Saddam's egomaniacal portraits everywhere for the past two weeks and tried to place myself in the shoes of someone who had been subjected to seeing them every day for the last 20 or so years.

Last Thursday night I went to photograph the anti-war rally in Parliament Square. Thousands of people were shouting "No war" but without thinking about the implications for Iraqis. Some of them were drinking, dancing to Samba music and sparring with the police. It was as if the protesters were talking about a different country where the ruling government is perfectly acceptable. It really upset me.

Anyone with half a brain must see that Saddam has to be taken out. It is extraordinarily ironic that the anti-war protesters are marching to defend a government which stops its people exercising that freedom.

[red5angel]

"Some of them were drinking, dancing to Samba music and sparring with the police"


nuff said ;)

[GLW]

Question 1:

Given how many people have stated that ANYONE that would go over to be a human shield was a few bricks shy of a load, a traitor, CRAZY, etc...

Why would anyone want to listen to them NOW that they are saying things that you MAY agree with?

If the person was all of those things then, the likelihood that they have of a sudden changed with the exception of fear....is slim...

You can't denounce a source and then turn around and use them as valid.

A person sees some in a group acting badly so all in the group act badly. Is this the thought process?

If so, what about those supporters of this administration that act badly...violent and such. Does that not also indicate that they are mongers?

In both instances, I don't think so.

Both are forms of propaganda and not worth much notice at all.

[PaulH]

It may be propaganda as you said. However, if it fits well with the unfolding reality as the clocks ticked by, one ought to give it a chance to be heard.

Most of the people are happy to see us
Matthew Fisher

CanWest News Service




The United States Marine Corps received a joyous welcome from Iraqi civilians and soldiers alike yesterday as they crashed deep into Iraqi territory on the great march to Baghdad.

All along the road, for many kilometres, Iraqi civilians and soldiers waved, blew kisses and gave the thumbs up to passing marine vehicles. Many of the Iraqi soldiers have thrown away their combat boots and parts of their uniform, either to show they are no longer combatants or to exhibit their displeasure with leader Saddam Hussein.

"Canteens, grenades, abandoned positions -- they even left the Iraqi flag in place before they retreated," said 1st Sgt. Miguel Pares, a New Yorker from Spanish Harlem and the top enlisted man in Bravo company, 3rd Light Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division.

"I wanted that flag so bad but we had to continue moving along.

"All the peasants were cheering us, even the soldiers. They gave us the thumbs up, they blew us kisses. I couldn't believe all the boots that were lying on the road. The soldiers just left them there.

"Man, this is an army in full retreat."

What the Iraqi civilians and soldiers saw was a huge procession of armour and artillery and every other piece of military equipment imaginable as the entire United States Marine Corps' 1st Division moved toward Baghdad.

This big push began on Thursday night and was completed yesterday and now the marines are ready for further assaults on the towns and cities that lie between them and Baghdad.

The rules of being an embedded journalist prevent me from saying exactly where I am, but we have moved a staggering distance and so has the entire 1st Division. They just seem to have picked up the entire division and transplanted it. This morning we set out very early; the days tend to begin at 4 a.m., 5 a.m. if you are lucky.

At this pace, it won't be long before, as some of the soldiers like to say, the marines will be knocking on Baghdad's door.

There was no hostility to speak of. There were some Iraqi civilians and as we drove there was an increasing number of Iraqi soldiers and there were incredible scenes. Scenes of many Iraqi citizens joyously welcoming the Americans. Also, saying with their arms, "Praise be to Allah" for being delivered. They were thanking the Americans for that.

In one instance, a vehicle ran over Iraqi machine guns piled on the roadside.

"I wasn't surprised at the reception we got," Sgt. Pares said. "It is what I expected here. Whatever the world thinks of what we are doing, the Iraqi people view us as a force that is freeing them.

"I saw a lot of kids and I started to think of my own kids back at home. God Bless America for giving our children a chance. These kids were so thin. They sure didn't get their share of Iraq oil money."

Clearly, most of these people are very happy. However, it must be said they are Shias. The area we have been travelling through is predominantly Shia. Saddam Hussein is a Sunni and the Sunni strongholds lie around Baghdad and to the north so perhaps this is expected.

I was in an armoured personnel carrier, but had a reasonable view. People around me seemed to express real joy. They were not compelled to come to the side of the road, certainly, and they seemed to be freely cheering the Americans.

But we have been travelling so quickly that there simply hasn't been an opportunity to speak to them.

This march has been so quick into Iraq, we haven't had time to take prisoners in many cases. The prisoners want to surrender, but the Americans simply drive straight past them. I imagine the prisoners are being taken into custody behind us, but not in this area. They're just left to go about their business. Most of them are left walking along the road, perhaps trying to go home.

Meanwhile, the radios crackle with news of lopsided victories and advances and the mood of the marines is upbeat.

The older marines gathered around a small gas burner last night to toast the victory so far and the victories they believe lie ahead.

The fires from oil wells set alight by Saddam Hussein's retreating army provided a magical backdrop as the sergeants and officers discussed the long road to Baghdad that lies ahead.

[SLC]

Well... gosh... GLW. You don't have to believe it, guy. It is probably some fabrication. There probably isn't even a guy named Daniel Pepper. And he probably didn't even go to Iraq.

'Course if he did... that's very likely what he would have seen... right? But WTF? Propaganda. Who needs it? ;)

[red5angel]

whose dismissing the source? I might differ with the idea that being a human shield is "smart" but alot of people make dumb decisions and then learn from them.

[ZIM]

He seemed convinced that civilian casualties would be small; he had such enormous faith in the American war machine to follow through on its promises. I had an old Czech history prof who'd survived WWII as soldier, later prisoner, etc. One of the most memorable things he'd said was "I've been bombed by Soviets, Germans, British, and Americans. I'd rather be bombed by AMERICANS- they are the most accurate." :p

He was really insistent that the whole world knew this. That guy was just :cool: anyway, it just reminded me of that.

[GLW]

The point was NOT if I myself believed it or not.

Personally, I think that anyone that goes over to be a human shield is an idiot.

Saddam is a ruthless, brutal dictator with ALL that implies.

Being against a war is VERY different from allowing oneself to be a human shield and a pawn for propaganda on EITHER side.

I am saying that a number of people will read what the human idiot, I mean shield, came back and said and say "See, I told you so..."

Well, duh...like we don't KNOW what Saddam is. The point is that this shield was an idiot before...is probably STILL an idiot. Was a pawn for one sides propaganda before and is now a pawn for th other sides propaganda.

I simply refuse to take such anecdotal 'news' for much of anything. I most certainly refuse to pay heed to a proven idiot.

Sort of like the "American Taliban" I really didn't understand the big deal over him. He was serving in a military organization that was AGAINST his nation of origin. In virtually ANY country in the world, that is considered treason (possibly High Treason) and seems pretty much an open and shut case.

Sort of like the idiot that blew up the grenades in his own camp. Sorry...he is in a war zone. Isn't such an action supposed to be met with a military tribunal and if convicted, firing squad or such?

In other war zones, men have been killed by the ranking officer for such behavior.

I digress...but I just don't see why people need such stories but don't dig for REAL information.

[diego]

As he realised I was serious, he slowed down and started to speak in broken English about the evils of Saddam's regime. Until then I had only heard the President spoken of with respect, but now this guy was telling me how all of Iraq's oil money went into Saddam's pocket and that if you opposed him politically he would kill your whole family.

i dont care if its fake or not but this paragraph looks faulty...would you tell some guy in the back of your cab you oppose saddam and finish the sentence with those who oppose saddam get murdered....?

[ZIM]

But GLW...stumblefist liked it.... :D ;) :) :p :rolleyes: :eek: :) :D

[David]

Naivety is getting 'facts' from taxi drivers. Taxi drivers always say the opposite of what you think.

-David

[PaulH]

You must pardon on my "anecdotes", I can relate to them better than cold reasonings from the wise men of this century. One will understand when he is hurt, suffered and abandoned by the idle civilized world as Evil triumps and reigns. Here is one who know what she talks about:

Celebrities don't speak for the oppressed in Iraq By ESRA NAAMA, Women for a Free Iraq March 23, 2003

I am a refugee from Saddam Hussein's Iraq.

When Martin Sheen, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon and Barbra Streisand speak about the Iraqi people, they are not speaking about people like me, who are Shiite Muslims - the largest religious group in Iraq that is nonetheless forced to live as second-class citizens under the Sunni regime of Saddam and his Baath Party.

When I was 10, I fled Iraq with my mother and four siblings after the failure of the 1991 uprising against Saddam. My father, a former Iraqi army colonel, was one of the leaders of the uprising and helped organize the resistance forces that fought against Saddam. As a pharmacist with knowledge of military bases in the southern part of Iraq, he took crates of medicine and supplies from army hospitals to the local civilian hospitals. And he attacked every vestige of Saddam's control in my hometown of Al-Diwaniya; he tore down posters of Hussein and restored the old names on the hospitals and public buildings that had been named for Saddam.

At that time, we believed that the coalition forces would come to our assistance. But, within a few short days, Saddam brutally crushed us. In the months that followed, tens of thousands of my fellow Shiite Muslims were executed. Entire families were killed. Bodies were left to hang on trees, and men were tortured in public. These are the scenes that I relive in my nightmares.

My father went into hiding to escape execution. My mother had no idea whether he was dead or alive. She knew that if Saddam's security forces could not find him, they would come after her children, and we would be imprisoned and tortured to lure my father out of hiding. When they took away my 18-year-old cousin, my mother decided we had to leave. We set off on a long journey, moving to new safe houses every night, until we finally reached the Rafha refugee camp in Saudi Arabia. The camp embodied all the indifference and cruelty with which Arab dictatorships treat their people. We stayed there for nearly two years. We were lucky.

Eventually, my father found his way to the same camp, and we were blessed to receive refugee status in the United States on Sept. 17, 1992. My family celebrates this date as our new birthday, the day that we were able to begin our lives as full human beings, with dignity and hope. Growing up in the United States, I often thought about the people we left behind. We lost three relatives. My best friend's father, an army general, was executed for unknown reasons. I have friends who have lost 50 relatives.

Like many others, I am dedicated to ending the suffering of the Iraqi people. They are prisoners in their own land and they yearn for freedom and the simple things that we take for granted -- democracy, freedom of speech, the right to vote. America is their model for the future of Iraq, if only America and the world would help them build it.

I am an American now, and I have been educated to respect the right to free expression by any citizen, a right no member of my family enjoyed when we lived in Iraq. I know from personal experience that the Hollywood actors who decry action against Saddam are really opposing the liberation of the Iraqi people. I wish they would praise the American troops in the field or just stay silent.

There is only one measure of comfort to be found in their statements: When Iraq is finally liberated, these actors will learn that they have never spoken for the people of Iraq.

Esra Naama of San Diego is a member of Women for a Free Iraq.

[joedoe]

Wow. Tough upbringing.

[PaulH]

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OPERATION: IRAQI FREEDOM
Human shields caught in crossfire
Many abandon mission, accuse Iraq of using them

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Posted: March 25, 2003
3:50 p.m. Eastern



© 2003 WorldNetDaily.com

As the coalition bombs drop across Iraq, many anti-war protesters from around the world seeking to serve as human shields for the Iraqi people find themselves caught in the crossfire.

The London Independent reports a British human shield has not been heard from since the initial bombing last week. Leo Warren, 44, from Feltwell, Norfolk, is one of seven British human shields believed to be still in Iraq.

In his last e-mail to family hours prior to the initial "decapitation" airstrikes, Warren raised concerns that he and other members of the group were being manipulated by the Iraqi government.

When the protesters arrived in Baghdad in February, they intended to position themselves at schools, orphanages and hospitals. But Iraqi officials ordered them to deploy at water-treatment centers, bridges 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," organizer Ken O'Keefe told the Christian Science Monitor before the conflict began.

As WorldNetDaily reported, O'Keefe is a former Marine who renounced his citizenship after his experience in the Gulf War, in which he claims the U.S. "conducted human experiments" on him by "its forced injection and ingestion of pyridostigmine bromide pills and anthrax and botulinum toxoid vaccines, which had not been approved for use on uninformed and non-consenting humans."

"The vast majority of people on this planet oppose this war," O'Keefe asserted on the BBC's "HARDtalk" program. "The United States intends to carry out this war because they need to dominate the world by controlling its oil reserves."

Australian Jake Nowakowski's human-shield mission with the Truth, Justice, Peace group lasted only three weeks. He told the London Telegraph he was manipulated by Iraqi authorities, and when he tried to defy them, he and five other human shields were kicked out of the country.

Nowakowski said his trip taught him that "things were a lot more complicated than they seemed in a lot of ways."

Even before the war got underway, many human shields reported a similar epiphany.

Daniel Pepper, a 23-year-old Jewish-American photographer, also admitted to the Telegraph that he had been duped by Saddam's secret police.

"Anyone with half a brain must see that Saddam has to be taken out. It is extraordinarily ironic that the anti-war protesters are marching to defend a government which stops its people exercising that freedom," Piper wrote.

"Perhaps the most crushing thing we learned was that most ordinary Iraqis thought Saddam Hussein had paid us to come to protest in Iraq," he added.

The Washington Times reports a group of U.S. anti-war demonstrators who visited Iraq with Japanese human-shield volunteers made it across the border into Jordan Saturday amid a crush of Iraqi refugees.

They say they have 14 hours of video not censored by Iraqi government minders.

One said the trip "shocked [him] back to reality." The Rev. Kenneth Joseph, an American pastor with the Assyrian Church of the East, told the Times that some of the Iraqis he interviewed on camera told him they would commit suicide if American bombing didn't start.

"They were willing to see their homes demolished to gain their freedom from Saddam's bloody tyranny," Joseph said. "They convinced me that Saddam was a monster the likes of which the world had not seen since Stalin and Hitler. He and his sons are sick sadists. Their tales of slow torture and killing made me ill, such as people put in a huge shredder for plastic products, feet first so they could hear their screams as bodies got chewed up from foot to head."

The Japanese government is frantically trying to persuade Japanese nationals serving as human shields to get out of Iraq before it's too late.

"It is the responsibility of the government to protect these people, and we and our colleagues in the region have been working hard to persuade them,'' Vice Foreign Minister Yukio Takeuchi told reporters at a Tokyo news conference.

Asahi Shimbun reports 15 Japanese members of anti-war groups remained in Iraq. Of these, seven have chosen to serve as human shields at strategic facilities in Baghdad. Five others are in Damascus waiting to enter.

Other human shields who have fled their posts remain resolute in their opposition to the war.

The South African Press Association today carries the report of a Muslim man from Durban who returned to South Africa today following a week-long stay in Iraq as a human shield.

"Being a human shield when they're throwing bombs won't help anybody," Mohammed Suleiman told the news agency shortly after arriving at the Johannesburg International Airport.

The car dealer said he was based at a water purification plant near Baghdad for three days about two miles from where the worst bombings took place.

"The bombings were terrible. They were bombing defenseless people – civilians," he said.

Suleiman said he feels satisfied he achieved his objective.

Meanwhile, Iraq has other human shields at its disposal. U.S. forces said yesterday they were treating several wounded civilians at a captured airbase in southern Iraq who said they had been used by Iraq's military.

At a press conference today, Air Force Maj. Gen. Victor Renuart accused Iraqi forces – the Fedayeen militia in particular – of "terrorizing neighborhoods" and using civilians as human shields.

"Human shields are a cowardly way to act on the battlefield," Renuart said. "We will not put our troops in the position where we would disregard the safety of any noncombatants."

[dnc101]

Originally posted by GLW
I am saying that a number of people will read what the human idiot, I mean shield, came back and said and say "See, I told you so..."

:)





















:D