Human shields arrive in Baghdad
JoseSoplar
Human shields arrive in Baghdad
By David Blair in Baghdad
(Filed: 17/02/2003)
Squabbling peace activists were recovering from a chaotic overland journey
yesterday after limping into Iraq aboard two London buses, a day late for the
worldwide series of anti-war demonstrations.
Three double-deckers, all crammed with "human shields", had set out from London
on Jan 25 to reach Baghdad in time for the day of global protests. But only two
of them, with 65 activists, including 18 Britons, made it to the Iraqi capital
late on Saturday.
The third was abandoned in Italy after breaking down. Everyone crammed aboard
the others, one of which had to be dug out of snow drifts near Istanbul.
Several activists dropped out on the way.
The rest endured bitterly cold weather, illness, poor living conditions and a
great deal of bickering. When they arrived at Iraq's border with Syria on
Friday, Iraqi officials held them overnight, which made them miss Saturday's
peace demonstration in Baghdad.
"There were lots of group squabbles," said Benjamin Joffe-Walt, 23, an American
paramedic. "Very few people knew each other. I did not know any of them and it
was difficult to organise it. There were lots of different ideas on when to go
to bed, how long to spend on the bus." The activists, aged from 20 to 68, slept
in cheap hotels, youth hostels, tents or on the buses.
Ken O'Keefe, their informal leader and a former American marine, burned his US
passport and designed himself new travel documents proclaiming him a "Citizen
of the World". As a result, he was detained in three countries.
Mr O'Keefe has yet to arrive in Baghdad and Mr Joffe-Walt last heard of him in
Syria.
A blonde Norwegian activist created a sensation in Turkey and her picture
appeared on the front pages of several tabloids. A typical headline read: "Who
would bomb this angel?" Mr Joffe-Walt said: "It was not exactly the kind of
coverage we were hoping for." Peter Vandyke, a self-styled "reiki master and
spiritual healer" from Portsmouth, drove a London taxi with the convoy.
He described the journey as "horrific" and said: "A lot of people are really
sick. They have been sleeping on the buses in sub-zero temperatures."
Mr Vandyke, 38, served in the Royal Navy for eight years and believes that
there is no terrorist threat to Britain. Tony Blair was "deliberately
terrorising his own people", he said.
Among the British contingent is a married couple, Helen and Kevin Williams,
34-year-old vegans from Newport, south Wales. They kept strictly to their diet
throughout the bus journey. "It was very important to us," said Mrs Williams,
who wore a T-shirt saying, "Animal Killers, close them down."
Mr Vandyke said the group would camp inside hospitals, schools, power stations
and other buildings "needed for basic human living".
He said the presence of vegans and spiritual healers would shield the buildings
from harm if war broke out.
Saddam Hussein's regime, which normally admits westerners with great reluctance
and treats them with deep suspicion, has granted the human shields three-month
visas and given them freedom to go where they wish.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/02/17/nshield17.
xml&sSheet=/news/2003/02/17/ixnewstop.html
Jose Soplar
"Distortions, hyperbole and ad hominem defamation
comprise the Left's modus operandi when dealing with
its opponents." - Ben Johnson
Non illigitamus carborundum est!!
Correct One
when he/she said:
> Saddam Hussein's regime, which normally admits westerners with
> great reluctance and treats them with deep suspicion, has granted
> the human shields three-month visas and given them freedom to go
> where they wish.
Just wait till anyone of them suddenly want to leave and see how
wonderful Saddam really is :)
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