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Shocked Back to Reality

Fri, Mar 21, 2003 at 1:22:23 pm PST

Some of the deluded “human shields” who let themselves be used by the monster Saddam are coming home with all their blinkered Western naivete stripped away. (Hat tip: jdwill.)

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."

But some of them are such barking moonbats they even creep out their Iraqi handlers. (Hat tip: William.)

"We have a bad impression of the human shields. Some of them are crazy," said an Iraqi Foreign Ministry official, who requested anonymity.

"Yes, there are some fruitcakes among us," said Marc Eubanks, a Wyoming native and Air Force veteran who now lives in Athens, Greece. He was referring to some anarchists, who he said could provoke major culture clashes with Iraqi officials at joint meetings.

"But nobody can tell me that we haven't been an outstanding success," said Eubanks, who has been living at the Dura Electrical Power Plant, which supplies a third of Baghdad's electricity and was bombed in the Gulf War. "We were poorly organized, but we lurched forward."

The Bush administration has said little about the human shields. In February, a State Department spokeswoman responded to a reporter's question about why they were in Iraq by saying, "You might as well ask me why moths fly into porch lights."
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48 comments

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1 cb  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 11:23:15am

This is great news!

2 Fst  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 11:25:35am

They are the first of the idiots to realize the truth.

3 Dean  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 11:28:33am

If neo-cons are liberals who've been mugged, think about what folks like this, assuming they were true idealists, will be like when they go home. Think about how they will react, having confronted REAL evil, and heard from REAL victims.

Think they're still gonna be misty-eyed every time someone plays John Lennon? Think they'll put up w/ the likes of ISM and their ilk?

The Left will undoubtedly shun these folks (if not worse). After all, it is the apostate that they fear, more than any other....

4 Narnia  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 11:29:19am

I can not understand what they expected.
Same people who want to set the rapist and murders free because of their childhood.

5 vicarious  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 11:29:26am

I'm trying to get the attribution for this, but I just picked it up. Some of the moonbats weren't involved as human shields; some actually went to fight for Saddam:

after the allied troups ceased firing the remainder of the Iraqi troups emerged waving improvised white flags and pleading with the Americans to help them. Then he emerged from the clearing smoke and dust, a lone soldier ridding on a four wheel drive fork lift truck. He raised a Defiant fist and screamed "god is great" in a pronounced home counties accent.
The coalition troupes fell silent and their captives looked in awe at this hero committing an act of gross stupidity. The moment did not last long. The little fork lift briefly disappeared behind a small sand dune, when he reappeared he was ripped limb from limb by a mass of automatic fire.
After a brief search a British passport and a book full of aircraft numbers were recovered from the mutilated corpse.
I looked down on his sad troll like face, turned away and shed a tear for this poor dead son of Hertfordshire.

-Vic

6 Solomon X  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 11:31:56am

Click on the "barking moonbats" link and then click on the picture to the left. You will see a young blond kid wearing pink pants. That is child abuse. That child needs to be placed in protective custody.

7 kayawanee  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 11:34:37am

Bush is shoving reality in everyones faces. I love it.

Reality is coming home to roost, and it's about damned time!

8 Pliny  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 11:36:05am


OT:

Run through the streets of Bagdad proclaiming:

THE KING IS DYING!
THE KING IS DYING!
THE KING IS DYING!

9 Studsup  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 11:36:25am

This revelation and others of a similar nature being reported from Iraq must have the likes of Susan Sarandon, Babs, Sean Penn, Baghdad Bonior, Jihad Jim McDermott, Dan Rather, Ted Kennedy and Patty "Osama Mama" Murray positively seething.

Then on the other hand, I can see them sniff at the reports and comfort themselves with their selfconfirmed knowledge that "the Iraqis don't know any better, they don't know what a risk to peace that George Bush really is".

10 Greg  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 11:37:12am

#5: Vic get a link for that!

NPR reported last night that of Islamist mercs from France & Algeria fighting for Saddam.

11 tom @ work  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 11:39:44am

does anyone know about a pro-war rally in NYC tomorrow at noon in times square??

12 ploome  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 11:39:55am

maybe the human shields can get political asylum in Frawnce.....

13 cb  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 11:41:59am

Slightly OT.

Just read this on the BBC's reporter warblog...

Riot police stood guard on Friday in front of the Jordanian, Egyptian and American embassies in Damascus, but there were no demonstrators. The streets of the Syrian capital were quiet and traffic was slow. Syria may be one of Iraq's neighbours but it certainly doesn't feel like it. Since the war started, there has been almost no reaction from the Syrian government

Syrian response


It's fear, shock and awe.

14 jdwill  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 11:42:36am

While I'm tickled pink (#6) that I got a front line post on LGF, I want to stress the 14 hours of uncensored video, shot without Iraqi minders. We should lobby various news agencies to see if this can be obtained and aired. I smell gold in them thar hills.

15 rastajenk  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 11:43:53am

I like the State Dept quote at the end. :-)

16 Scooter McGruder  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 11:44:18am

I love that quote about the moths; it's a classic. The fact that it came from a State Department mouth just makes it even better!

17 Cymtex  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 11:48:26am

Look, as much as I like old Shep Smith, let's admit it: he's one of those anamatronic robots. All the pancake makeup in the world couldn't make a human's skin look like that pliable latex mask that covers his robotic chassis.
Now that being said, I've got nothing against robots, I'm no anti-robite. I just think it's time to upgrade his Zencom Speech Matrix Interlacer to the new 4.2 model, so he can correctly pronounce "Qatar"..

18 Liz  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 11:48:38am

I saw a quick interview by Blix on MSNBC, where he admits that the inspections probably never would have found all the WMD. I can't find it reported on the internet anywhere. Does anyone know where I can find the transcript of his interview or least a report?

19 say it like it is  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 11:50:30am

LOL. This was exactly what I wanted to read.

I always knew that the peaceniks are fucking barking mad.

20 Joshua Chamberlain  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 11:51:03am

# 11 -

Usual suspects at ANSWER will be lining up on Broadway between 36th STreet and 42nd Street at 12 Noon.

21 Deacon Frost  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 11:55:55am
"But nobody can tell me that we haven't been an outstanding success

Priceless. Did any NYC'ers catch the news where they interviewed some old fart protestor who said he was there "Because of all the cliches, you know no blood for oil, that sort of thing?"

22 Joshua Chamberlain  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 11:59:21am

# 11 -

Haven't heard about a counter-demonstration. For example, Curtis Sliwa mentioned a Sunday 12 Noon pro-America demonstration in Staten Island. But he didn't mention a Saturday counter-demonstration on his show, which he would normally have done if he knew about one.

23 Otter  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 12:02:16pm

The story of the plastic shredder was prominently in the news this week. I call bullshit on the shield who claims he had a change of heart after hearing that story from Iraqis.

I applaud his willingness to admit error, but still think he's trying to aggrandize himself by claiming that story was personally told to him.

24 The Crazy Write Winger  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 12:02:21pm

As far as the Blix interview, I don't have link to the transcript, but here's the one for the NY Post, who reported the story:

[Link: www.nypost.com...]


"But nobody can tell me that we haven't been an outstanding success," said Eubanks, who has been living at the Dura Electrical Power Plant, which supplies a third of Baghdad's electricity and was bombed in the Gulf War.

I'll bet he was singing a different tune after the bombs hit Baghdad. The military is leaving the power on because it's easier to bomb with the city lit up like a Christmas tree.

25 Frank IMC  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 12:06:07pm

#6 Solomon X -

The expression on the "non-American idiot" on the left is priceless.

26 Studsup  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 12:17:25pm

Solomon X,

The pink pants aren't the first reason I can think of for having the kid put in protective custody. How about putting a kid into the improbable circumstance that he is in to begin with?

I hope that kid makes it out alive -- he is simply to young to be given Johnny Taliban accountability for his actions. I hope whoever brought him there is blown to atoms. As for the rest, let the liberated Iraqis have street justice before US/UK troops can get there in time to stop it.

27 Heather  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 12:33:16pm

#6 - I can't believe someone would bring their child into the middle of a war zone and force him die for their cause. Why are they all laughing and having a good time? They're about to die. Oh well, no one ever said they were smart and/or rational. And, you're right, those pink pants are definitely cause to call in the authorities.

28 Joe  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 12:34:12pm

#28 Otter - You're dead on about that story having received wide spread coverage earlier this week.

Here's some more proof about how misinformed these people are:

(from the BBC)


Southern Iraq :: David Willis :: 1901GMT

I'm with US Marines who have been sent in here, along with British Marines, to secure oil wells. They are close to completing that mission.

This is the region which produces more than a half of Iraq's oil.

I've seen quite a few prisoners of war. I've seen several dozen being looked after by American soldiers and given food to eat.

A lot of people here are very pleased that Saddam Hussein has been attacked in this way.

One group of Iraqis waved at the American soldiers I was with and said "down with Saddam Hussein".

29 Joe  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 12:34:56pm

sorry - should have been #23

30 brianstien  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 12:39:18pm

#17 Cymtex

I opened up a minor can of worms last night (& quite inadvertently annoyed Zulubaby in the process) by slamming Shep. I've always found him awfully hard to take. However, I watched him anchor some of Fox's coverage today. When he's not straining to be so aggressively hip, he's considerably less nauseating.

31 Outsider  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 12:41:09pm

First I wanted to say that it takes a big man to admit mistakes.
This Kenneth Joseph guy certainly deserves credit for it.

#23 - Otter

I didn't think about that,
but still, if the story got to foreign news agencies, I would guess it was also circulated among Iraqies much, much earlier. Much like Saddam's son torturing Iraqi soccer team after they lost a game a few years ago.
Also, don't forget it is in Saddam's interest to spread terror among his population.

32 Peter  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 12:43:48pm

There is no big reason to celebrate just because some unusual high pression did squeeze a little sense in the heads of these fools.

Next time they should understand a new situation, they do not get it without the high pressure again.

IStupidity cannot be cured; furthermore is is genetic problem (parent - child correlation in intelligence is about 0.7).

What is needed is something to slow their reproduction. Ending income transfers is one way. Many of them cannot make a living by themselves.

Easy and cheap abortions is another good way. If someone cannot figure out how a contraceptive device works, it should not be an incentive for reproduction.

33 JamesW  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 12:45:28pm

"But nobody can tell me that we haven't been an outstanding success."

I can. You schmucks were miserable failures.

34 R. McLeod  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 12:56:43pm

The saddest thing about this story is the terrible world that Iraqi's have to live in the

The NEXT saddest thing is that anyone could have been so delusional to think that Saddam wasn't the world's worst dictator...The Left is fucked. Totally, fucked.

35 Crichton  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 12:58:27pm

Does anyone know the link to the report about the plastics shredder -- the human rights one, not the news article linked above.

36 david  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 1:06:20pm

[Link: in.news.yahoo.com...]

Saddam's diamond-buying spree suggests he may flee: Report

London, Mar 9 (ANI): Saddam Hussein's personal jeweller has been in Thailand on a secret mission to buy millions of dollars' worth of diamonds, according to a report in The Sunday Times. The trip has prompted speculation that the Iraqi leader may be planning to flee or to send his family into hiding.

Quoting "sources with knowledge of the trip", the report says the jeweller travelled to Bangkok via Jordan and bought the diamonds in the Thai capital in a pre-arranged deal. This was his second trip, Saddam's son Uday having sent him there three months ago to buy a ring from an American dealer for 750,000 dollars, the report adds.

Saddam has been a perennial member of Forbes magazine's list of the world's richest people. Before the 1991 Gulf War he was said to be worth 10 billion dollars, but that estimate has now been reduced to 2 billion dollars, following sanctions imposed by the United Nations on Iraq.

Since the Gulf War he has not left the country, and only a week ago he declared in a defiant address that he would never desert in the event of war. But if, as reported, he is converting some of his fortune into jewels that can be transported easily, he may not mean what he says. (ANI)

37 Robert Brandtjen  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 1:25:10pm
Since the Gulf War he has not left the country, and only a week ago he declared in a defiant address that he would never desert in the event of war. But if, as reported, he is converting some of his fortune into jewels that can be transported easily, he may not mean what he says. (ANI)

If he's still alive, or fit to travel.

38 beer_me  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 1:35:02pm

#13 cb

I checked out that link you posted and found this:

Southern Iraq :: Gavin Hewitt ::
1321GMT

We are deep into Southern Iraq, certainly well over 100 kilometres north from the border. We've been driving for over 11 hours.

In the last few minutes we just crossed over the Basra-Baghdad highway.

We've had several bizarre incidents in the last few minutes of drivers on the highway completely unaware that American armour may be this far north, stopping their vehicles in utter amazement as we crossed the highway.


Priceless!

39 IWuvLGF  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 1:41:36pm

#37

If he's still alive, or fit to travel

He can still travel. Inside the suitcase.

40 Bill K  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 1:42:36pm

If even the stooges in the Iraq Foreign Ministry think these dumbasses are crazy they must have gone around the bend a long time ago. If anyone could make the Iraqi regime seem semi-rational it would be these fools.
Their minds must be an uncomprehensible mush even to themselves. Logical thinking is alien to them and independence is anathema. Consequently the herd instinct takes over and petty and not so petty tyrants rule their lives. This herd mentality is the perfect fodder for the mobs running amuck around the country.

41 Sarah eg.  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 2:16:10pm

Cymtex, (#14)

Isn't Shep the only one on Fox who is pronouncing 'Qatar' correctly (ie rhyming with 'gutter')?

Funniest Fox news moment last night was when that platinum blond (Named Laurie? Last name sounds like "dew"?) anchor asked one of the military pundits if our Iraqi allies in the north might have started the oil fires "to keep Saddam from doing it himself."

42 Maarten Schenk  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 2:30:25pm

I have some more info on the Kenneth Joseph guy mentioned in the article on my site: [Link: brusselsblog.blogspot.com...]

43 Celissa  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 2:30:30pm

#14
I've forwarded the article to all the shows I watch on Fox (I won't bother with the alphabet networks or the Communist News Network--they still let that ignorant slot Christiane Amanpour report). Maybe someone will look into it.

#27
Come on, don't be so naive. These are the same people who want to teach kids about condoms in 1st grade. The left is guilty of much worse child abuse than taking their kid to Iraq to be a human shield.
God, the Arabs must be laughing their asses off. No wonder bin Laden is so emboldened.

#41
Laurie was grasping at straws, but she has some killer soup coolers!

44 Lollia  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 5:59:09pm

#42, I don't think the Kenneth Joseph described in your links is the same Kenneth Joseph quoted in this article. Your man has served in Japan for 50 years, and this Kenneth is described as a young pastor.

Besides, I would hope the fine human being you describe, with a lifetime of experience, would not have made this mistake in the first place - it would seem out-of-character.

Then again, one would think even a young pastor at an Assyrian church, who obviously comes in contact quite often with newly immigrated Assyrian refugees from Saddam's Iraq, would not have to travel half-way around the world to find out Iraqis don't really like Saddam - to put it lightly. I'm sure he's got relatives who could have told him as much.

45 brianstien  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 7:00:44pm

#41 Sarah eg.

I beg to differ. The funniest Fox moment last night came compliments of the former Special Ops guy they're always interviewing, Bevelaqua (sp?). He exudes the aura of a man with whom one should not f*ck.

At any rate, he was gushing about the flexibility of our military, and its ability to turn on a dime in order to pursue a suddenly presented target of opportunity. He speculated that this ability "must have Sadaam scratching his head. Assuming it's still attached to his body."

46 Sarah eg.  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 8:59:46pm

Brianstein (#45) pretty funny, but my mom just told me her funniest Fox News moment from last night, and I think she's got us both beat.

It was during that endless video feed from the reporter embedded in the convoy for Baghdad. The convoy had stopped for a few minutes and the anchor was blathering about how fascinating and inspiring the images were when the camera fixed on a soldier who walked out into the desert a bit, suddenly dropped his pants, and squatted. They quickly cut back to the Fox studio and not a word was mentioned about it.

47 brianstien  Fri, Mar 21, 2003 9:30:18pm

Sarah eg: I capitulate in favor of the Matriarch. Mother knows best! LOL

48 Bob71  Sat, Mar 22, 2003 7:05:09pm

Okay, don't get me wrong. See my other posts as Bob71 and earlier as Bob linked the same email address if you need my bonafides as to supporting the liberation of Iraq.

But...

As pointed out in 44, assuming there are actual Assyrians in the Assyrian Church of the East, it is odd that this young fella essentially needed to be hit over the head with a frying pan to understand "Saddam bad." And, the plastic shredder thing, it showed up rather recently in the Ann Clywd story, yes?

Saddam is a sick torturing freak, even liberal Frontline has detailed his acid chambers. And if the plastic shredders were used, they were used enough to be seen by more than one person.

But, given the proximity, both in time and on lgf, doesn't the plastic shredder story smell a little Kuwaiti baby incubator-y? E.g. something that came not from the mind of a sadistic madman so much as from the mind of a P.R. pro. (Who may also be a sadistic madman.)

Just asking. Actually I suppose everyone wished that this element of the story - the sickening use of these machines - was not true. But if it is not it is another old-master's-thesis-as-up-to-date-intel, fissile-materials-from-Niger thing; weakening a good point with bad evidence.


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