Voluntary Human Shields

[Bret Walker]

There are currently about 3,000 voluntary human shields in Iraq, whose purpose is to stop the war in Iraq. Saddam Hussein of course considers them to be welcome guests in his country, and even gives the volunteers ideas on where to place themselves to be most effective. The Bush administration calls them traitors. I call them brave, but misguided. I think it's rather courageous to put oneself in harm's way for a cause as all-encompasing as an anti-war protest. But I don't agree that the volunteers should be aligning themselves with the Iraqi government in order to fight their cause. Hussein used involuntary human shields in the Gulf War, an action which is considered to be a war crime, and it's a crime for which he's never been tried. In lieu of this, the revelation that there can be volunteers that act as human shields is bordering on preposterous. And as such, the Bush Administration wants to try these "non-combatants" as war criminals, if a war does in fact ensue in the Iraqi region.

I'm torn on this issue. Like I said, I admire their tenacity, but I also agree with Bush (and man, does that hurt!) in his assessment of the non-combatants as war criminals. Still, it takes some kind of courage to do what they're doing.

As a side note, the former leader of the human shield movement was recently removed as head of the movement because he burned his passport in Switzerland. To many, it called into question the integrity of the leadership of the movement. Well, duh!

[Kexpakki]

Ok now i agree with you about killing saddam

There is an Icelantic reporter in Iraq and he was forced to be a human shield.

America should lift the ban of political assasinations

[Bret Walker]

If we would go in an assassinate Hussein, the war wouldn't even happen. And in fact, there were CIA operatives in place who could have taken Hussein out in 1990 before he invaded Kuwait. Imagine how much death could have been averted had they just taken him out prior to August 2, 1990. How many Kurds would still be alive. How many Iraqi soldiers would still be alive. And although we shouldn't forget the 258 US soldiers who died there, that number is pretty small compared to the tens of thousands of Iraqi soldiers who died in the Gulf War.

One death versus tens of thousands. Yep, if I'd have been in charge in 1990, I'd have had the CIA pull the trigger on the fucker.

[Kexpakki]

i dont see why they band assassinations its better then bombing and invading so why the fuck not

[Bret Walker]

Two reasons. 1) Apparently it's more ethical to kill tens of thousands of people rather than just one (refer to Josef Stalin quote: "One death is a tragedy. One million deaths is a statistic.") and 2) War is good for the economy. An assassination does nothing for the economy. War creates jobs.

That's all I can think of.

[Kexpakki]

3) war is hella cool

[Lost]

I just heard about this today , and i thin its Awesome... what better way to protest war then to join the enemy ? These poeple arnt trailors , or criminals .... they are citisens that are tired of americas bullshit .... 3000 poeple .... you would think bush could come up with something a little better then criminals....i hope one day we make a wall with there name on it.....