U.S. Administration Sneers At International Human Shields In Iraq

US sneers at Iraq human shields

13feb03

THE United States has sneered at foreigners, mainly from Western countries, who have volunteered to serve as human shields in the event of war with Iraq.

"You might as well ask me why moths fly into porch lights," a State Department spokeswoman said when asked about a group of westerners, who arrived in Baghdad yesterday to act as human shields at civilian sites.
Several Australians are among the foreigners who have offered to act in Iraq as human shields in the event of a war.

Despite reading from language approved by the department for release to the media, the spokeswoman declined to be identified, saying she believed it was "flippant" and did not want her name attached to it.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher agreed with the spokeswoman's view and later ordered the sentence stricken from the department's "guidance", which provides standard answers to reporters' questions on various subjects, a department official told AFP.

The spokeswoman declined to comment on the motivation of those who volunteered to be "human shields", but noted repeated State Department warnings advising US citizens in particular to avoid any travel to Iraq.

"I will let the individuals who choose to travel to Iraq for this purpose characterise their motivations for doing so," she said.

Yesterday 14 foreigners - 11 Italians, two Canadians and a Spaniard - arrived in Baghdad with a Saint Bernard dog to serve as shields.

The group leader said they hoped to set themselves up in the area of civilian sites such as schools, hospitals, and water treatment plants within Iraq.

In January, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz (a Christian) said Baghdad welcomed the presence of human shields, although he preferred to call them "civil defenders".

Aziz invited them to Iraq to group around food warehouses, oil refineries and electricity power plants.

http://www.heraldsun.news.