Iraq Orders 5 Human Shields Out of Country

Iraq ordered five people hoping to serve as human shields out of the country Thursday after a dispute over where the Western peace activists should deploy to deter possible U.S. military strikes.

Accusing the five of undermining the “noble and courageous” spirit of other volunteers, senior Iraqi official Abdel Razak Hashimi told a meeting of about 100 activists in Baghdad that the five should leave by today.

Hashimi said the five had set themselves up as representatives of the group and had been “holding unnecessary meetings, wasting time, knocking on doors at midnight ... asking stupid questions.”

“We appreciate very much that you are here, but the rules of the house have to be respected,” he said.

Activists said the dispute centered on who should decide where the activists should deploy. Some had wanted to station themselves at hospitals or schools but were told instead to go to power stations.

Former U.S. Marine Ken O’Keefe, one of those ordered to leave, said it was “absolutely unacceptable that human shields would arrive and immediately be taken to sites without our knowledge.”