Shields are in position (From Stroud News and Journal)

Shields are in position

STROUD human shield Grace Trevett and her 30 companions arrived in Baghdad a day late to add their voices to peace demonstrations going on all over the world.

The voluntary human shields overcame all the obstacles and made it to the city three weeks after leaving London.

They had hoped to make it in time for the international demonstrations but were held overnight by Iraqi officials at the Syrian border.

Grace spoke to the News & Journal from Syria on Friday, when she was still 400 miles from the Iraqi capital.

Crossing the Turkish border had been a bureaucratic nightmare, she said, and the "shields" had to spend eight hours cutting through the red tape and persuading reluctant officials to let them through.

"It was a very difficult and a long process but we did it which was quite something," she said.

"A lot of the people we had spoken to in Turkey didn't think it would be possible but we've made it."

With the last obstacle out of the way Grace said the plan to put themselves between the Iraqi people and the military might of America and Britain had become more real and there were mixed emotions of trepidation and elation on the bus.

But Grace said overall spirits were good and the response of the Syrians had been heart warming.

"The welcome we've had in Syria has been just amazing," she said.

"Everyone's opposed to the war and our action seemed to give them so much hope and the opportunity to express what they feel.

"Wherever we have been, we have had whole families coming out onto their verandas to cheer us on and people in the street applauding us."

She said Saddam Hussein's government had been trying to woo the human shields and make political mileage from them.

"We had an offer from the Iraqi government to put us up in posh hotels outside Baghdad before giving us an escort into the city itself," said Grace.

"Of course we refused - we don't want anything to do with the government.

"They've tried to hijack it on a few occasions but we are here for the Iraqi people, not Saddam Hussein."

The "shields" have been granted three-month visas and have been told they can travel where they want within the country.

She said last week's tensions between different people taking part in the human shield action had now been overcome and those still taking part were focused and solid since leader Ken Nichols O'Keefe's deportation.

"Things have been much more positive and we want to continue as we are," she said.

"If Mr O'Keefe does make it to Baghdad I think we will meet up with him and maybe try to work things through."