Human Shields and Choice

[kandrathe]

The enemy? Are you sure?

Yes. Yes. You know and I know that they are not the targets. They know what they are doing, they know the bombs are coming, and if they are still in the way when the bombs fall, then they will have only served to aid Iraq. Iraq, the nation, is the enemy, and Saddam in particular since he controls everything in Iraq. If you strengthen the enemy, you are the enemy as well.

Various nationalities are represented within that crowd.

They should go home. Be angry with the US if you want, but if the US decides that Iraq is a threat to their security and must do something about it, then they will. Protest in your cities if you like, we get the news here in the US, and understand and even empathize with your arguments. No population of activists standing around in Baghdad is going to change the opinion of the leaders of the US.

Well they can't, can they.

You are in a dictatorship then?

Did those democratically elected proponents of war governments work against the will of their own people?  Yes.  And people are calling it a crime too.

Representative leaders make decisions on behalf of their populations, and that is what they were elected to do. I can't speak for the positions of Howard, Blair, Chirac, or Schroeder, they are subject to the whims of their respective democracies.