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Politics : DON'T START THE WAR -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: stockman_scott who wrote (3640)	1/25/2003 5:18:11 AM
From: Raymond Duray	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25898

BBC -- HUMAN SHIELDS mobilize against the Madness of King George news.bbc.co.uk 'Human shields' head for Iraq British anti-war protesters who aim to form a "human shield" against any bombing of Iraq are setting out on Saturday for the Middle East. A double decker bus and two London cabs will cross Europe rallying support against a war, en route for Baghdad. In a separate peace effort, veteran Labour politician Tony Benn is also travelling to the Iraqi capital to try to meet Saddam Hussein. They are not a faceless mass who don't matter if they die. "The purpose is to explore the prospects for peace," the former Cabinet minister said. "We hear President Bush and Tony Blair every day but we don't hear from Saddam Hussein. "It is a good sign that he may be willing to meet me." Among the 50 "human shield" protesters is veteran peace campaigner Grace Trevett, from Stroud in Gloucestershire. Ms Trevett and her fellow campaigners say they are willing to put themselves in the firing line should US and British forces bomb Iraq. Five-year-old Stuart Lockwood was used as an involuntary human shield in 1991 They plan to identify potential bombing targets such as power stations and bridges and act as human shields to protect them. "For me there are big questions over whether an invasion is necessary," Ms Trevett said. "I was in the US in April to take part in a peace march, but while I was there the people of Iraq were being demonised and their children were said to be spies. "I believe human beings are equally precious, equally important wherever they come from. "They are not a faceless mass who don't matter if they die." The whole point of being a human shield is that we can change public and world opinion. The group will collect aid for the Iraqi people on their 3,000-mile journey before setting themselves up at key installations in Baghdad. A second convoy is planning to leave on 15 February, when up to 600 people are expected to fill a further six double-decker buses. Stage handler Ube Evans, 50, originally from Hay-on-Wye, who is also leaving with the convoy, said: "Somebody's got to save humanity from themselves. I'm very scared. "The whole point of being a human shield is that we can change public and world opinion." The US has warned Iraq that using human shields is a war crime and that it would not stop specific sites from being attacked. During the 1991 Gulf War, Saddam Hussein was accused of detaining Iraqi and Kuwaiti civilians at key military and industrial sites in Iraq.

To: stockman_scott who wrote (3640)	1/25/2003 5:40:50 AM
From: Raymond Duray	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25898

ANTIWAR Demonstrators converge on Davos Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad jolted the opening session, telling the United States that "out-terrorising the terrorists will not work," europe.cnn.com DAVOS, Switzerland -- As global business leaders and politicians met for a second day at the World Economic Forum, demonstrators converged on the Swiss ski resort of Davos on Friday to demand changes to economic policies and acton to halt the threat of war. They were joined by thousands of protesters around the world who marked the start of the World Social Forum in southern Brazil -- an alternative to the long-running annual summit in Davos. Both events have focused attention on growing fears of war with Iraq and concerns of a possible global economic crisis. The 2,000 delegates attending the Davos summit are hoping to help restore investors' confidence following a year of accounting scandals, corporate fraud, plunging stock markets and the threat of recession. Political leaders, in particular, are also looking for solutions to the military crises in Iraq, the Middle East and North Korean. These talks are taking place under the gaze of hundreds of police and soldiers who have been deployed in and around the Alpine city for the duration of the forum, which began on Thursday and runs until Tuesday. Davos is again the site of the talks -- and anti-globalisation demonstrations -- after the event was switched to New York in 2002 as a mark of respect after the September 2001 suicide plane hijackings. Demonstrators are protesting against the disparity in quality of life between major industrialised economies and developing nations. But this year they are also calling on world leaders to back away from military action against Iraq and ease tensions in other hot spots, like the Middle East and North Korea. The WEF meeting comes as United Nations weapons inspectors prepare to present their findings on Monday to the Security Council on their search for Baghdad's alleged weapons of mass destruction. That report could be crucial to the U.S. decision on whether to attack Iraq. Powell, who will make a speech on Sunday to the conference, is expected to have bilateral meetings with politicians attending the meeting to gather support for military action of Saddam Hussein does not compile with U.N. demands for full disclosure of its weapons. Prior to his arrival in Davos, Powell said on Thursday the U.S. would find supporters if it decided to go to war. "I don't think we'll have to worry about going it alone,'' he said. The prospect of war overshadowed discussion of economics at Davos. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad jolted the opening session, telling the United States that "out-terrorising the terrorists will not work," Reuters reported. Swiss President Pascal Couchepin said the majority view in western Europe was that war should be a last resort and would have long-term destabilising effects on the Middle East.