Human Shields being used.

[Ronn_Bman]

A CNN reporter embedded with the coalition troops has reported that American Airstrikes against a southern Iraqi city have been called off because forward spotters saw Iraqi soldiers herding women and children into their lines.

[Luvian]

That's awful, but at least, there is a "good side" to this. Those actions will make Saddam and his troops even more hated by the general population of Iraq, and that will make then friendlier to the coalition.

Originally posted by Luvian: That's awful, but at least, there is a "good side" to this. Those actions will make Saddam and his troops even more hated by the general population of Iraq, and that will make then friendlier to the coalition.

You know, he HAS a point. If the Russians, Chinese, Japs, an' French got a whiff of this, they'd get off their butts and do something about it.

[VulcanRider]

Originally posted by Luvian: That's awful, but at least, there is a "good side" to this. Those actions will make Saddam and his troops even more hated by the general population of Iraq, and that will make then friendlier to the coalition.

I think the general population already does hate him, and the human shields are getting an eye-opening education.

Here's an article about refugees trying to cross the Jordanian border. Some of them included anti-war demonstrators and what they've learned.

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=...1-023627-5923r

Paragraph 5 is especially interesting:

From the article: A group of American anti-war demonstrators who came to Iraq with Japanese human shield volunteers made it across the border today with 14 hours of uncensored video, all shot without Iraqi government minders present. Kenneth Joseph, a young American pastor with the Assyrian Church of the East, told UPI the trip "had shocked me back to reality." Some of the Iraqis he interviewed on camera "told me 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. 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."

[John D Harris]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by VulcanRider:
I think the general population already does hate him, and the human shields are getting an eye-opening education.
Education is a wonderful "thang"

[ 03-23-2003, 07:22 PM: Message edited by: John D Harris ]

[Stratos]

We have had quite a discussion here (Sweden) about people who volonteer to go to Iraq and become human shields. Supposedly they do this to protest against the war.
Of what I´ve heard they have been "stationed" in civic buildings only, but I still consider them to be Saddams pawns although unwillingly.

[ 03-24-2003, 06:49 AM: Message edited by: Stratos ]

So why have the reactions of the Iraqi population caused the "coalition" forces to start to treat all civilians as possible hostiles?.
The only Iraqis I've seen pleased to see the US troops are a few bedouin in the desert.

[Thoran]

The "reactions" you're talking about were by military or para-military troops dressed up as civilians... so of course it makes sense to be careful approaching anyone, even apparently friendlies.

Iraq and its military are fully willing to sacrifice their civilians, and have proven it time and time again... from AAA emplacements in residential neighborhoods, to forced "human shields". The fact that they know this will affect Coalition targeting is direct evidence that the coalition tries very hard to avoid noncombatant casualties.

[Magness]

I wish that the military, using gun cameras, would get some footage of this happening. Or perhaps, so ground based cameras.

This is an outright violation of the Geneva Convention.

[Charean]

Iraq can't even disarm with the UN. You expect it to follow the Geneva Conventions in any way, shape or form? Saddam and his sons are brutal, and will stop at nothing - nothing - to keep their power.

Be prepared for some unbelievable brutality and carnage. Saddam hasn't begun yet.