American forces attack Human shields

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday April 01, 2003 14:43 by David Rynne

2 Busses attacked as they transported American and European peace activists

Warplanes attack human shields says Iraq BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. warplanes have attacked two buses bringing American and European peace activists to Baghdad from neighbouring Jordan, Iraq says.

Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf told a news conference on Monday the injured were being treated in a hospital near the Jordanian border. He gave no more details of casualties.

"Yesterday an American warplane attacked two buses on the highway between Amman and Baghdad with foreign passengers, among them Americans," Sahaf said, adding later that Europeans had also been on board.

"The brave Americans start shooting Americans."
Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf
"These were human shields who were coming to Baghdad to be deployed...many of them were injured and taken to hospital at Rutba," he said. "The brave Americans start shooting Americans."

Hundreds of Western activists poured into Baghdad before the war to show their support for the Iraqi people in the weeks leading up to the U.S.-led invasion of the country.

Some of them set up camp in power stations and water plants around the Iraqi capital in a bid to dissuade U.S. military commanders from targeting the facilities.

Others have headed out of the country -- taking buses that shuttle between Baghdad and the Jordanian capital Amman.