UNITED KINGDOM: FIRST CONVOY OF "HUMAN SHIELD " PEACE CAMPAIGNERS DEPART FOR BAGHDAD IN DEMONSTRATION TO TRY AND PREVENT WAR WITH IRAQ

Record ID: 338081

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: FIRST CONVOY OF "HUMAN SHIELD " PEACE CAMPAIGNERS DEPART FOR BAGHDAD IN DEMONSTRATION TO TRY AND PREVENT WAR WITH IRAQ
  • Date: 25th January 2003
  • Summary: (EU) LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JANUARY 25, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. PAN DOWN FROM TOWER BRIDGE TO HUMAN SHIELDS POSING IN FRONT OF BLACK DOUBLE DECKER BUS WITH ROUTE SIGN WRITTEN LONDON TO BAGHDAD, 999 0.06 2. SMV KEN NICHOLS (BEARD, RIGHT OF PICTURE) HUMAN SHIELDS LONDON CO-ORDINATOR POSING WITH OTHER VOLUNTEERS 0.10 3. BAKC
  • Embargoed: 9th February 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • City:
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVA6R1A8BH893NMT2V1W6TT0CHUT
  • Story Text: The first convoy of Western "human shield" volunteers
    has left England on typical London double-decker buses
    bound for Baghdad proclaiming they were prepared to die if
    necessary to stop war in Iraq.



    Roughly 50 volunteers, ranging from a 19-year-old
    factory worker to a 60-year-old former diplomat, gathered near
    London's Tower bridge on the banks of the Thames river for the
    send-off on Saturday (January 25).

    They are the vanguard of a series of caravans organisers
    say will take hundreds, possibly thousands, of anti-war
    activists to Iraq.

    The London group 'Human Shield Action Iraq' was led by
    former U.S. marine Ken Nichols, who fought in the 1991 Gulf
    War.

    "This could really cause a regional conflict of major
    proportions which could expand into a larger, global war, it
    could launch us into World War III, so I don't know how much
    urgent it (this action) can be," Nichols said.

    Dismissing criticism by some that they are naively playing
    into Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's hands, the volunteers
    plan to fan out to heavily populated areas of Baghdad and
    other parts of the country as a deterrent to possible U.S.-led
    bombing for what Nichols sees as a perfect good cause.

    "Is there any doubt that the hatred and bitterness that
    already exists is going to be increased after this war is
    fought? Does anyone realistically think that by dropping on
    Iraq, somehow, someway this world is going to be safer and
    more secure. It is an insult to our intelligence to even
    suggest that that would be the case. This is about oil and
    global domination and all thinking people know this," said
    Nichols.

    His group is one of several around the world mobilising
    peace activists to Iraq on a variety of solidarity visits.

    Neither Washington nor London, who are preparing for
    possible military strikes over Saddam's alleged programmes to
    develop weapons of mass destruction, have said if the presence
    of Western human shields would affect their plans.

    But the volunteers insist the possibility of Western
    casualties once bombing starts will force them to re-think.

    Rajia Dajian, a 22 year-old volunteer, said she was ready
    to face all risks involved in the campaign.

    "We are not going there to die, we are going there to live
    and for the Iraq people to live. If I do die, then I don't
    want to live in a world where people are killed for oil and
    profits matter over people, and oil matters over people."
    Saturday's convoy -- like others planned for early
    February -- will travel across Europe, picking up more people,
    loading provisions and stopping to promote their cause.

    Joe Letts, an Englishaman who is driving one of the red
    buses, was hoping to reach Baghdad before in time to avoid
    war.

    "We are going to be there in two weeks and what we want to
    do is get huge support on the way down through Europe and to
    make it more and more clear to Bush and Blair that they are
    not going to be allowed to have their war," he said refering
    to the support British prime-minister Tony Blair is lending to
    the American strategy.

    On board were volunteers from across Europe, Canada and
    the United States. The only Iraqi in the group was 49
    old-actress Namaa Alward, who also has Norwegian nationality.

    "War is not the solution, why to we think immediately when
    there is a problem about war, why don't think peace and negotiation," she
    said before climbing onto the bus.

    This new campaign has upset some among the thousands of
    Westerners detained by Saddam to act as shields against
    attacks after his 1990 invasion of Kuwait and the ensuing 1991
    Gulf War.

    They feel the volunteers do not appreciate the seriousness
    of what they are doing and are unaware of their past
    suffering.

    In the Muslim world, the main rallying point for would-be
    human shields is in Jordan. There, a campaign led by leftist
    parties and civic bodies is seeking 100,000 volunteers.



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