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<div class="entry-date">September 05, 2013<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/09/05/will-1000-american-human-shields-stop-another-criminal-war/">http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/09/05/will-1000-american-human-shields-stop-another-criminal-war/</a><br>
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<div class="subheadlinestyle"><big><big>Arriving First in Syria</big></big></div>
<h1 class="article-title">Will 1000 American ‘Human Shields’ Stop
Another Criminal War?</h1>
<div class="mainauthorstyle"><big><big>by FRANKLIN LAMB</big></big></div>
<div class="main-text"><big><big> </big></big>
<p><big><big><em>Damascus</em></big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>A sort of roller coaster atmosphere pervades Damascus
these days with “good” and “bad” news rising and falling, often by the
quarter hour. Much of the population is monitoring closely the news and
quickly expressing their interpretations of the latest media reports
and rumors as well as predicting the fairly precise timing of the now
assumed American attack on their country.</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>In the very popular, and normally crowded Abaa Coffee
House on the edge of the old city in what is called the Sarugha
section, students and others enjoy the fine cool mist, as Damascenes
have done for years, that is sprayed from ceiling pipes to provide
welcome relief from the 37 degree Celsius (98 degrees F) outside
temperatures. Many are clued to their laptops and/or in animated
conversation analyzing the likely extent and timing of the soon
believed to be arriving American missiles.</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>This observer often meets interlocutors in the Abaa
because it’s very pleasant, large with dozens of tables, cheap and two
blocks from my hotel. I have noticed that common greetings are
changing from “kif hallack” ” (how are you?) and “Arak lahekan” (see
you later) to “Get home safely” and “Good luck with the checkpoints.”</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>But there is also a distinct growing esprit de corps and a
broad coming together of much of the population here as the countdown
to the American attack on Syria begins. An evident rallying around the
Assad regime, which one presumes is the opposite of what the White
House was hoping would result from its threats.</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>A good friend from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent Society
(SARCS) an humanitarian organization doing amazing rescue, and medical
services for Syrians and Palestinians during this expanding crisis,
described one way that her friends are preparing for the American
attack. “We gathered our important documents, birth, marriage
certificate and passport and made photo copies. Then we leave them
with friends in “safe” areas or even bury them somewhere. No one knows
how bad the Americans will bomb us. At work we have been told during
our final practice drill last saturday that the next siren will be the
‘real thing’ and we will do as we have planned for.” She added, “Many
of my friends and family are leaving but it’s not easy and is very
expensive now to go to Lebanon and they don’t want us– and my family
has decided to stay in our home no matter what happens in the coming
days.”</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>One common topic being discussed is the reluctance of the
American public to attack Syria and how Obama can ignore it. “What
kind of Democracy do you have that your President can ignore the will
of the American public?” this observer is frequently asked. One
soldier who is stationed with his unit just outside my hotel seemed to
speak from his heart: “You Americans claim you are trying to help the
Syrian people. Every child knows, both here and in your country I
think, that the coming attack will make things much worse for the
Syrian people and many others. The American people are good and we hope
they can control their government, but we are preparing for the worst
and there will be consequences you will come to regret as with
Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya.”</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>The government here is assuring the public that Syria is
ready for the American attack and that public services will
continue. TV channels show around the clock images of heroic Syrian
army exploits with marital and patriotic music. Youngsters, students
and workers are gathering at presumed targets offering themselves as
Human Shields in solidarity with their countrymen while challenging
President Obama to bomb their beloved Syria.</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>Interestingly, an International Human Shield movement is
coalescing according to informed sources here and abroad. One
initiative is to bring 1000 Americans and thousands of others, to Syria
within the next ten days to guard likely bomb sites reminding one of
the International Solidarity Movement international volunteer’s efforts
in Occupied Palestine in order to try to protect homes of Palestinians
from Government bulldozing.</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>Some redacted specifics have been disclosed to this
observer from an international organizing committee working around the
clock on this Human Shield initiative.</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>Some descriptive excerpts:</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<blockquote>
<p><big><big>International Human Shields are planning on coming to
Syria in solidarity with the Syrian people and in an effort to send a
global message and hopefully deter an American attack next week…</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>Timing – While moves can be made fast and with all other
key elements in place, time is not in our favor. Ten mores days for
preparation would be ideal. The HS initiative assumes that it must be
done in such a way that very little time lapse from the official
announcement of the action to the actual arrival of the Human Shields
on the ground in Syria…</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>Impact – In order to achieve a significant impact having
at least 1000 Americans and several thousand international Human
Shields deployed in Syria is the objective. With ideally at least one
representative from every UN Member State, as evidence of the true
‘international community’ opposing the American attack.</big></big></p>
</blockquote>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>The US activist-based steering committee is quickly
bringing together professionals in IT, marketing, logistical planning
and implementation, spokesperson(s), public relations, accounting,
documentarians, and experienced project managers. Ferries from European
ports are to be arranged to carry significant numbers of Human Shields
from Major European cities. Ideally, several jumbo jets will be
chartered to carry human shields from some of the world’s major cities
and use of land convoys are under consideration.</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>An excerpt:</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<blockquote>
<p><big><big>HS/Government Relations – The first objective of the
enemies of Syria will be to portray Human Shields as nothing more than
pawns of President Bashar al-Assad. This was precisely what the
mainstream media did in 2003, presenting Human Shields as pawns of
Saddam. In order for the Human Shields to have power they must be seen
as independent supporters of the people of Syria who represent the will
of the vast majority of people around the world who oppose the pending
US-led western attack. The HS should however work with prominent
leaders in the civilian sector of Syrian society and great effort
should be made to produce daily news stories of the Human Shields and
Syrian people working together to protect Syria from the ongoing
foreign instigated aggression. There are once again many details here
and these would need to be discussed and agreed if any action will be
able to reach its full potential.</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>Strategy – The sites that Human Shields deploy to must
be very well publicized and these sites must be identified as protected
sites under the Fourth Geneva Convention. The White House is saying
that they are not going to attack infrastructure (as they did with Iraq
in 2003), but they must attack the infrastructure as the goal is to
drive Syria into the stone age and make it so weak that Israel will
through its agents eventually take Syria over. They know that the
Syrian people and military cannot be defeated without massive attacks
on the infrastructure.</big></big></p>
</blockquote>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>So it is absolutely vital that all power plants, water
treatment facilities, bomb shelters (if they exist), civilian
communications sites, food storage sites and other such sites that are
critical to the civilian population are the primary if not sole focus
of sites for the HS to deploy. They cannot deploy to military sites,
although I personally feel this is morally defensible, it will
neutralize the power of the HS in the public relations realm and
intelligent public relations is absolutely critical.</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>A comprehensive list of protected sites is to be produced
immediately and these sites will need to be verified by the most
independent sources we can manage to obtain. UN representatives or
former representatives would be great, human rights attorneys, legal
experts and others of this type are very useful.</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>There will be room to deploy to sites not specifically
listed in the Fourth Geneva Convention, such as with ethnic and
religious minority communities who are deathly afraid of the foreign
invaders/terrorist. Special emphasis should be placed on Christian
populations as the western audience sadly has more sympathy for
Christians than Muslims.”</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<blockquote>
<p><big><big>Our goal is to personalize the people of Syria and show
their suffering through the eyes of the HS with effective daily reports
to be uploaded on the Internet and reported by legitimate news agencies
such as Press TV, RT and Telesur. A massive effort must be made to
educate the public about the reasons for the Fourth Geneva Convention
(FGC) and the imperial powers undeniable record of knowingly destroying
the lives of ‘protected persons’ as defined in the FGC. There must be
high quality, well-spoken Arabic/English speaking spokespersons.</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>We should be ready to provide evidence of any attack on
such sites the moment it happens and have legal briefs prepared to
immediately charge the aggressors with war crimes. This is why it is
critical that the HS are almost exclusively at sites that are protected
by the FGC.</big></big></p>
</blockquote>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>The Action Plan concludes:</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<blockquote>
<p><big><big>We cannot necessarily stop them from doing what they
intend to do, but we can make their aggression harm them far more than
Syria and its people in the end. Herein lays the power, using the
enemies momentum against him in the most powerful way possible.</big></big></p>
</blockquote>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>Time will tell which Americans will arrive first in Syria,
the military or the American public. Many Syrian are today praying it
will be the latter and have pledged to join them to defeat the coming
aggression.</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big><em><strong>Franklin Lamb</strong> is doing research in
Syria and Lebanon and can be reached c/o <a
href="mailto:fplamb@gmail.com">fplamb@gmail.com</a></em></big></big></p>
<big></big></div>
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