U.S. Fines Woman for Being 'Human Shield'

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A43504-2003Aug11?language=printer

A retired schoolteacher who went to Iraq to serve as a "human shield" against the U.S. invasion is facing thousands of dollars in U.S. government fines, which she is refusing to pay.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury said in a March letter to Faith Fippinger that she broke the law by crossing the Iraqi border before the war. Her travel to Iraq violated U.S. sanctions that prohibited American citizens from engaging in "virtually all direct or indirect commercial, financial or trade transactions with Iraq."

She and others from 30 countries spread out through Iraq to prevent the war. She spent about three months there. Only about 20 of nearly 300 "human shields" were Americans, she said.

Fippinger, who returned home May 4, is being fined at least $10,000, but she has refused to pay. She could face up to 12 years in prison.

[ixion]

1. virtually all direct or indirect commercial, financial or trade transactio

hmmmm... guess somebody forgot to tell Haliburton about that. ;-)

[gratuitous]

2. Hmmm

Now, how does being a "human shield," in the finest biblical tradition of laying one's life on the line for others, constitute a "commercial, financial or trade transaction"? I mean, really, if there was a profit to be made from altruism, don't you think Lil George and his cadre of Red Ink Republicans would have tried to get in on that by now?

[VolcanoJen]

3. Dupe... locking

Please continue discussion by posting in the original, earliest thread on this topic, which can be found here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=58421&mesg_id=58421

Thanks!
VolcanoJen
DU Moderator