# Can and should any American "human shields" in Iraq be tried for treason? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 21, 2003, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-and-should-any-american-human-shields-in-iraq-be-tried-for-treason/156656 "2003-02-21T22:52:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-and-should-any-american-human-shields-in-iraq-be-tried-for-treason/156656/41 "2003-02-24T05:33:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > \*\*I don’t see as how any of those purported human shields are putting their lives on the line. They’re asserting, are they not, that our Armed Forces are going to target civilians and thus they’re going to be “shielding” civilian entities. As our Armed Forces aren’t targeting civilians, that’s pretty much the same as a walk in one’s front yard. \*\* I’m not sure **Monty**. In every report I’ve seen they say they are there to protect innocent civilians. Then later the statement is made that they are going to station themselves around military targets. I wonder: [ul][li]are they misspeaking?[/li][li]are they assuming that Saddam is going to place civilians around military targets?[/li][li]are they trying some sort of bluff?[/li][li]do they think civilians are going to be military targets.[/ul][/li]😕 If they do gather around military targets and one is hit, killing some of their comrades, will that deplete their numbers actually acting as shields? There are so many questions about this whole subject that we will not know the answer to until the stuff hits the fan. ---
**Author:** ![ghostrider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58f4c7/32.png) [@ghostrider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ghostrider)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-and-should-any-american-human-shields-in-iraq-be-tried-for-treason/156656/42 "2003-02-24T06:19:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > \*\*I don’t see as how any of those purported human shields are putting their lives on the line. They’re asserting, are they not, that our Armed Forces are going to target civilians and thus they’re going to be “shielding” civilian entities. As our Armed Forces aren’t targeting civilians, that’s pretty much the same as a walk in one’s front yard. \*\* More like a walk in the yard in Afghanistan. I believe - please correct me if I’m wrong - that we didn’t target civilians there, yet some thousands (3000 is the number I tend to accept) died anyway. Unintended stuff happens in war. Smart missiles go astray. Etc. I think they’re running a significant risk. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-and-should-any-american-human-shields-in-iraq-be-tried-for-treason/156656/43 "2003-02-24T06:42:35Z")
Welcome to Iraq: > [@](#): > > Fifteen from the first 200 volunteers began moving into a bunker at an electricity plant in southern Baghdad yesterday, although some questioned the choice of location after discovering that it was next to an army base. Speaking from behind a wall of sandbags at the Rasheed military base, an Iraqi official said: "Don’t worry, it is a small army camp.’’ [http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document?\_m=542f9ac3337d90ea26e1613cd68827c1&\_docnum=2&wchp=dGLbVzb-lSlAl&\_md5=85ab063faba28dc6db42bd77ca8fcb38](http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document?_m=542f9ac3337d90ea26e1613cd68827c1&_docnum=2&wchp=dGLbVzb-lSlAl&_md5=85ab063faba28dc6db42bd77ca8fcb38) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-and-should-any-american-human-shields-in-iraq-be-tried-for-treason/156656.md?page=2)