How long will it take to forget? 9th April 2003 Of all the scenarios! 13th March 2003 Some Human Shields asked to leave Iraq 10th March, 2003 Letter to Prime Minister Christiaan Briggs Implores his Prime Minister to Inspire 6 March, 2003 Better than a 9-to-5 5th March, 2003 Response to false reports of Iraqi control 5th March, 2003 Christiaan deploys to power station in Baghdad 4th March, 2003 Christiaan responds to U.S. administration 26th February, 2003 Intent on standing with the Iraqi people 25th February, 2003 Finally in Baghdad 20th February, 2003 Getting organised to go 17th January, 2003 Why a Small-town New Zealander is Heading for Iraq to be a Human Shield 1st January, 2003

Human Shield Responds to U.S. Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld and US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard Myers
Wednesday, February 26th, 2003

Hundreds of Human Shield volunteers from around the globe are converging in Baghdad. Over the following weeks they will be deploying to strategic sites that are key to avoiding mass civilian casualties in the event of a U.S. lead bombing campaign.

Earlier this week US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, flanked by General Richard Myers, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, indicated that these anti-war volunteers could be accused of war crimes. “Those who follow his [Saddam’s] orders to use human shields will pay a severe price for their actions,” Rumsfeld declared.

Myers added, “It is a violation of the law of armed conflict to use noncombatants as a means of shielding potential military targets–even those people who may volunteer for this purpose… Therefore, if death or serious injury to a noncombatant resulted from these efforts, the individuals responsible for deploying any innocent civilians as human shields could be guilty of grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions.”

Hawke’s Bay man, Christiaan Briggs, who is in Baghdad ready to deploy himself, said in response, “To tell you the truth I am shocked and amazed that anyone in the Bush administration has even read the Geneva Convention. I guess it’s a step in the right direction.”

“It’s an indication of ground they have lost in the propaganda war that they are resorting to such churlish arguments and lies. The truth, as many New Zealanders already know, is that I am here of my own free will. We all have freedom of movement and freedom to choose which sites we deploy to. We also have a committee of our own people researching potential sites and I will let it be known if this situation changes.

“Iraqi minders do not follow us, as we were lead to believe. The city is not dysfunctional, as we were lead to believe. In fact, apart from the incredibly friendly and generous locals and the fact that it’s a cash economy, it is much like any western city. If the US starts bombing just imagine any densely populated western city with around 5 million people and lots of children,” said Mr Briggs.

For the latest updates from the Truth Justice Peace Human Shield Action Iraq see humanshields.org

Christiaan can be contacted in Baghdad at the Andalus Apartments, room 305 on 00-964-1-719 2303 or 00-964-1-718 4290, or room 206 (the Human Shields office) on 00-964-1-717 9188. Messages can also be left at the front desk or with office (room 206).

To obtain photos taken by Christiaan Briggs in Baghdad or of the trip to Baghdad contact Liam Nicholls of TNT Magazine, London at 0044 20 7341 6646 or 0044 7 900 977 791 or piceditor@tntmag.co.uk or see www.tntmagazine.com/humanshield