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

[Cock Puncher]

SARASOTA, Fla. - 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.
In her response to the charges, she wrote the government that "if it comes to fines or imprisonment, "please be aware that I will not contribute money to the United States government to continue the buildup of its arsenal of weapons." Since she won't pay, she said, "perhaps the alternative should be considered."

The government also has asked Fippinger, 62, to detail her travels to Iraq and any financial transactions she made. In her response, Fippinger wrote that the only money she spent was on food and emergency supplies.

If Fippinger does not pay, the fine may increase, and the money will be drawn from her retirement paycheck, her Social Security check or any of her assets, officials said.

"She was (in Iraq) in violation of U.S. sanctions," said Taylor Griffin, a Treasury Department spokesman. "That's what happens."

Shortly before the U.S. invasion in March, Fippinger was one of several dozen human shields scattered around a refinery in Baghdad.

"We are planning to stay here in the refinery if war breaks out," Fippinger said at the time. "We are staying here because we think this war is unjust."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/w...anguage=printer

She knew the drill. If you go over there you'll be breaking the law. Too bad....so sad.

it was a law......she violated it.

pay your dues and your debts.....everybody tells you, you pay for what get.......

[USAcommitteeX]

If they want to be human shields, we should let them, most would run away when bombs start dropping, human shield just made me think of the south park movie, when the black soldiers were tied to the tanks, i'm not racist but that shit was funny

[Adam D]

So...it's not ok for an old lady to go there for humanitarian purpose, but it was perfectly fine for Haliburton to engage in business there?


Got it.

[t-bone]

Originally posted by Adam D
So...it's not ok for an old lady to go there for humanitarian purpose, but it was perfectly fine for Haliburton to engage in business there?


Got it.

what humanitarian good did she do. What other companies do the same thing as well as Hliburton do you suggest. you answer is none. Make some sense in your statements.

ryan

[bfp]

So...it's not ok for an old lady to go there for humanitarian purpose, but it was perfectly fine for Haliburton to engage in business there?


Got it.

actually thats correct. anyone who sides with the enemy during wartime needs to be tried with something more extreme than just a measly fine. the bitch was aiding the enemy. but that was her freedom of speech.

[Adam D]

Originally posted by bfp
actually thats correct. anyone who sides with the enemy during wartime needs to be tried with something more extreme than just a measly fine. the bitch was aiding the enemy. but that was her freedom of speech.

She was trying to protect the very people you ramble on about "saving". Haliburton had contracts with Hussein's regime. Who was siding with the enemy?

[Adam D]

Originally posted by t-bone
Make some sense in your statements.

Please do. What you said made absolutely no sense.

[bfp]

Originally posted by Adam D
She was trying to protect the very people you ramble on about "saving". Haliburton had contracts with Hussein's regime. Who was siding with the enemy?

please guy. im sure they had something to do with each other as iraq was a big distributor through opec. your accusation is baseless.

[Adam D]

Originally posted by bfp
please guy. im sure they had something to do with each other as iraq was a big distributor through opec. your accusation is baseless.

No, it's not. First of all Iraq hasn't dealt with OPEC since 1990. Second, there have been plenty of stories discussing the Haliburton oil dealings directly with Iraq during the sanctions.

[USAcommitteeX]

I changed my mind, human shields should be kept out of the war zone because its bad for the military, like that chick who was run over by a bulldozer, ISM people slipped into the war zone, they knew the dangers, and what could happen

[Element4040]

Originally posted by Adam D
So...it's not ok for an old lady to go there for humanitarian purpose, but it was perfectly fine for Haliburton to engage in business there?


Got it.

Actually I'm all for it if she wanted to go over there and most likely end up getting killed by an Iraqi, go right ahead. Or if she want's to protest in front of a school with an anti-missle battery and get blown to bits by some JDAMS that's cool too.

I have no sympathy for those morons that wanted to be human sheilds.

[Adam D]

I was just pointing out the hypocracy of bfp & co. getting pissed off at some lady who went over there to try and stop the war but cheering for a corporation that outright disregarded the sanctions with business interactions.

[t-bone]

who is getting pissed off. and i am still waiting for your source with haliburton information.

[USAcommitteeX]

Buy Haliburton Stock!