|
|
KEITH:
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I have invited you to this press conference to fill you in on a very serious development affecting the Human Shield Action in Iraq.
I (Keith Jennings O'Brien) along with four key organizers are being forced to leave Iraq under government escort.
I must admit, I never considered this as a possibility, I am in genuine awe of this decision, and in hindsight I should have considered it. This action has effectively removed logistical and organizational control from us and seriously undermined the Human Shield strategy and autonomy.
As the person who initiated this Human Shield movement I must express my deep desire to protect it and preserve the massive power it has to save lives and halt war. But in order to stop war this must be understood, in order for the Human Shield strategy to fulfil its full potential several elements are necessary:
Because of the phenomenal and historic growth of this movement many of these elements have been seriously compromised and thus hard lessons learned.
Lastly I must express my deepest desire to see all of the Human Shields who remain in Iraq safe and effective in protecting life. Their convictions in action are a testament to the will of the people to end the insanity that threatens to destroy us all.
I will now take questions.
QUESTION:
Wolf Blitzer, CNN. Do you now admit coming to Iraq as Human Shields was a big mistake? You have become stooges of Saddam Hussein.
KEITH:
Those Human Shields that remain in Iraq, entered Iraq with the freedom to deploy to undeniably critical humanitarian sites which were absolutely of their own choosing. They remain at these sites to this day.
Their autonomy in this action cannot be questioned. The question now is will future Human Shields in Iraq have the same freedom? I simply do not know the answer to this question at this point. This is why I recommend no new Human Shields should enter Iraq.
QUESTION:
Will you stop helping future Human Shields to come to Iraq?
KEITH:
We will assist any more Human Shields who wish to enter Iraq in securing Iraqi entry visas. That relies of course on Iraqi co-operation. But it must be made clear, we cannot provide any assurance of freedom of choice with regard to deployment to sites.
Those that enter now will be under the direct charge of Dr Al Hashimi of the NGO Friendship Solidarity and Peace, which is for all intents and purposes an extension of the Iraqi Government. Although I have felt strongly from the beginning that autonomy was critical to the integrity of the action, I do acknowledge that the need to stop this war is of grave importance to the future of our world and therefore this takes precedence.
So therefore I will assist those that wish to enter Iraq in every way that I can. But this is only morally defensible if I first do my best to completely inform those that go from this point on of the situation they will be entering and the perils they face. That is exactly what I shall do.
SIAMA:
I think it is only fair that you should hear a statement from those who have decided to stay on in Iraq as Human Shields.
We came to Iraq as Human Shields and we intend to stay to complete our work, if possible until peace is assured.
We wish to state that we have been given complete co-operation by the Iraq Peace Friendship and Solidarity organisation.
We have decided where we should be deployed, we are given transport wherever we want to go, we are given facilities that are truly remarkable in a country threatened with imminent war. We have visited hospitals and schools, we have organised demonstrations and other events whenever and wherever we want, and we have been met with love and kindness by Iraqi people wherever we have gone.
Some Shields have left the country. Some came for a specified time and have had to return to fulfil their commitments. Some are anxious as America and Britain continue their drive to war. Some because of disagreements with the Peace Friendship and Solidarity organisation feel they can no longer stay to do the work we are committed to.
A small number have been asked to leave. We have expressed regret at this, and our hosts have listened to us with respect, but we have had to agree to disagree.
Despite this, we believe there are no problems that cannot be resolved by discussion. We have been given no ultimatums as guests and we do not believe we should issue ultimatums to our hosts. Any disagreements we may have are trivial compared with the cause which brought us here, to stand alongside the Iraqi people in their hour of need and to demonstrate our solidarity with them, if necessary with our lives. We intend to fulfil that work.
(KEITH and SIAMA leave the platform. FREDERICK confronts KEITH.)
FREDERICK:
Frankly, Keith, I'm glad you're going. This was a great idea of yours, but it has out-grown you. We'll be better off without you. We have to work with the Iraqis, not fight with them all the time.
I'm only sorry that you are now advising Shields not to come. You're a great propagandist. You could be working with us outside Iraq, not against us. But I wish you well in whatever you plan to do next.
KEITH:
Frederick, I cannot in good conscience recommend people come to Iraq under the new terms set forth by Dr Hashimi. He has said clearly and repeatedly that “we are in charge and will deploy new Human Shields to the sites we designate”.
FREDERICK:
Is this how you want to go down in history, Keith? As the man who had a brilliant idea to prevent war, but because not everyone who signed up to it agreed to surrender total control to him, almost brought the whole wonderful structure crashing down, like a spoilt child stamping his feet because he can’t always get his own way?
KEITH:
How could you possibly doubt my desire to see the Human Shield strategy achieve its goal? I have had a million opportunities along this journey to throw temper tantrums, Frederick, yet the truth is I have not done so once.
The real question you pose is am I real or am I fake? Y ou seem to be unsure but I have no such doubts about you. I firmly believe you are every bit who you present yourself to be.
I admire and respect your passion, although you are cantankerous, a pain in the ass at times and totally off base in your view of me. I still see the dire need for more people like you in our world. In short you have proven your desire to see a fair and just world and put that conviction into action throughout your life. Anyone who does this has earned my respect, even if they are a pain in the ass.
I am sorry your wisdom has not been better engaged in helping me do what has to be done.
(They shake hands.)
FREDERICK:
You're wrong, Keith. I'm not wise, just a screwed-up old alcoholic trying to do the best he can, and fucking up most of the time. I'm full o' shit, and so are you, so we're kind of brothers, under my beard and your tattoos.
Go well, you old bastard.
|
|
