arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

An anti-war group is seeking volunteers from across the world to act as "human shields" in Iraq, should military action go ahead.

The group is hoping to recruit protesters during a trek across Europe and Middle Eastern capitals on the way to Iraq.

Once in Iraq, members of the convoy will identify targets for bombing, such as power stations, key bridges and roads, and deploy themselves as human shields in the glare of the international media.

The campaign is being led by Kenneth Nichols O'Keefe, a former US marine who fought in the 1991 Gulf War.

Why can't the experienced human shields from the occupied territories not pave the way for the newcomers. That would be a real experience!

Well, I do remember something general Schwarzkopf once said when he was asked what one could do against an adversary who was ready to die for his cause. He replied: "One should give him
his wish.
People who put themselves in the way of harm should not be astonished when harm befalls them.
This being said, I hope and pray that this war can be avoided.
But it doesn't depend on us, it depends on Saddam Hussein.

Gérard,
Enkele dagen geleden las ik in De Morgen dat een Amerikaanse christelijke vredesbeweging - ik ben de naam vergeten, maar ja, ik ben ook niet zo christelijk - opriep om met enkele duizenden naar Bagdad te reizen om door gewoon ginder aanwezig te zijn te verhinderen dat het USA-leger zou durven aanvallen.
Er zouden slechts enkele tientallen durvers op ingegaan zijn (tenzij hun rangen intussen al zijn aangegroeid).
Een moedig initiatief, lijkt mij, en ik denk dat zoiets wel een reëel effect kan hebben: helaas is het zo dat één Amerikaanse dode meer twijfels in eigen rangen zaait dan 100.000 Irakese slachtoffers (al zal het volstaan dat de media hier verder over zwijgen - op vraag van Bush willen de media veel doen - om het effect volledig teniet te doen).

Here is a letter from Kenneth Nichols O'Keefe. The human shield is forming spontaneously!
Aloha all!

As you know I am organizing a Truth Justice Peace Action that will soon be heading for Iraq. By posting notice of this on IndyMedia I have now gotten the attention of the British newspapers the Guardian and the London Times. Today both of them are printing articles of this action and one was essentially written by myself, it was made just a little lighter than my normal writing with my permission. It is available online at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,866259,00.html

This is resulting in my website getting more hits in a day than I have had in the last six months. I will do my level best to use this publicity to get the maximum number of people to come to Iraq. I honestly believe that this is the only way to possibly avert war. But more importantly, if we were to stop this war it will prove that we as people have the power to determine the reality of our world. "Democracy" has failed us, now is the time for action. I will continue to do the best I can and although I am realistic about the immediate future, I am still very much of the belief that we as people can and will make a fair and just world, if only we have the strength to act.

Aloha & Peace,

Kenneth Nichols O'Keefe
Universal Kinship Society

"We commit to nonviolent actions:

"We will commit no acts of violence, physical or verbal
"We will commit no property damage
"We will behave respectfully to all
"If conflict is likely, we will strive to have
ample trained peacekeepers and legal observers
"We encourage all participants to be trained in nonviolence
"If arrest is risked, all participants will be trained in nonviolence

"We condemn all human rights abuses . . . .
"We oppose all weapons of mass destruction . . .
"We support an International Criminal Court to deal with those who plan and perpetrate acts of terrorism,
such as those of Sept. 11, 2001

"We support U.S. foreign policies which promote
human rights
economic justice
and self-determination
for all people
as the best way to prevent future acts of terrorism
and to promote global well-being."
These above statements are quoted from the Sound Nonviolent Opponents of War (SNOW)

hi,

ben het niet helemaal zeker (de vraag naar activisten die het zien zitten als menselijk schild te dienen staat niet meer op hun website, maar ik denk wel dat ik het daar enkele weken terug gezien had), maar dit ruikt naar een actie van "voices in the wilderness" of aanverwanten:
meer info op http://www.nonviolence.org/vitw/ en http://iraqpeaceteam.org/

groetjes
joeri

Ken Nichols O'Keefe (uksociety@hotmail.com) publiceerde dit artikel op Indymedia op 25 december 2002. Daar vindt u meer (contact)informatie en verschillende beweegredenen. Web link:http://www.uksociety.org

om over te staoppen naar het artikel van Ken Nichols O'Keefe: ga naar
http://archive.indymedia.be/front.php3?article_id=43556