'Human shield' refuses to pay $10,000 in fines for visiting Iraq

[Nambe]

SARASOTA (AP)

A woman who went to Iraq to serve as a "human shield" in an attempt to stop the U.S. invasion is facing thousands of dollars in fines, which she is refusing to pay. -

Fippinger, 62, is being fined at least $10,000 and could face up to 12 years in prison.

"I will not contribute money to the U.S. government to continue the buildup of its arsenal of weapons," Fippinger wrote in her response to the charges.

"Therefore, perhaps the alternative should be considered." -

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

Ride Don’t Drive It’s Global Cool

[Pert_UK]

1. So they can tell you where you can and can't go? Bullshit.....

"The Department of the Treasury said in a March letter to Faith Fippinger that her travel to Iraq violated U.S. sanctions prohibiting American citizens from engaging in virtually all transactions with that country."

If the only thing that they've got against her is that she spent some money there, then surely this is absolute crap. She's saying that all she did was buy food and water......it's not like she even took a holiday.

BUT even if she did, so what? Can the government REALLY restrict the free movement of its citizens in that way? REALLY? Is that what is happening with Cuba?

Unbelievable. Business sanctions I can understand (and I GUARANTEE that the government flouts them anyway) but stopping individual citizens from going there? That's insane.

P.

[JackSwift]

2. OBEY THE FURHER OR DIE!

Death! Death to all who mock the Bush! You will be punished for your views you traitors!

[booksenkatz]

8. Hypocrisy

...U.S. sanctions prohibiting American citizens from engaging in virtually all transactions with that country.

But it's OK for Whistle Dick Cheney's company Halliburton to make millions selling equipment to Iraq, thus strengthening Saddam? Gee, I wonder how much Halliburton's fine is going to be?
:mad:

[Pallas180]

17. My thoughts exactly. When are they going to fine Cheney ?

>>violated U.S. sanctions prohibiting American citizens from engaging in virtually all transactions with that country."<<

If we want to help her out, we should find out who her
Senator and Congress rep is and send her that paragraph
asking about Cheney';s fines

[nn2004]

12. There's many places where you can't go in your own country

Try loitering around a missile site or a bank vault. The sanctions on Iraq were in place long before #43 came in.

[newyawker99]

15. Hi nn2004!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Bandit]

16. Just out of curiosity I wonder how many get fined for visiting Cuba

I seem to recall many Senators and Congressmen just visited there and numerous others and most of them were right-wingers. How much is their fines I wonder?

[LauraK]

3. I am not a lawyer, but taking her full income is not legal.

Nor can they put her in prison for not paying if she cannot afford to pay. They used to call those 'debtor prisons' before it became illegal to imprison people for being poor.

If they put her in federal prison, maybe they can house her with all the nuns in prison for protesting nuclear weapons and the School of the Americas.

Of course we would all like to see the bfee in prison and this lady given a metal.

[Code_Name_D]

4. But this is Bush's America

all bets are off. And beleive me, they will take every time you make. They did it to a freind of mine. Vertualy 100% of his pay check went to pay fines levied on him for drunk driving charges, and when he still fell behind, they throw him in prizen any way.

[PennyLane]

5. Welcome to Animal Farm!

What in the hell is going here? Our basic freedoms are being tromped upon. When a 62 year old woman on Social Security feels strongly enough in a cause to become a human shield and then has to face these kinds of repercussions, this has become a G/D police state. She didn't go over there and buy a house. They don't chastise missionaries or the Red Cross! What is the difference?
She was smart to plead her case on CNN, and hopefully international news agencies will pick up this story. The more exposure this story gets, the worse this administration looks in persuing it.
There were hundreds of others who went over there. Remember the double-decker buses full of protesters? I wonder if they slapped them up the side of the head with these penalties as well? Or are they just seeking this person out because she gets a government check? This smacks of an Orwellian nature, and it is a sad moment in our history. We have become the world joke, but nobody's laughing.

[izzie]

6. Little people do not cross Bush and Co.

Getting scary I think. As he goes down in the polls his Co gets more crazy. What is this about the man being killed in AZ? This is starting to sound more like Num with those things. I could not believe they would put nuns in jail. What is that? Wrong church to be in?

[booksenkatz]

9. Good point!

If she would just say that she went to Iraq to convert the Muslims to Jaysus, she wouldn't be having all of these fines and threats of jail thrown at her. In fact, she would probably be given federal money to continue with her faith-based mission.
:puke:

edited to add WELCOME TO DU, PENNYLANE!:hi:

[shanti]

14. i hope she stands by her principles

and doesn't allow anyone to pay this "fine" for her.

[Cthulu_2004]

10. it sounds like....

they'd put her in for contempt, because she could pay, but refuses to.

[demdave]

11. Deadbeat parents are imprisoned everyday for nonpayment

Many without the means to make the payments required by law. People are also constantly picked up for failure to pay court costs and fines because they don't have the money. I am not a lawyer either but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

[Julien Sorel]

7. Maybe this woman can become the Rosa Parks of sanity.

Or maybe not. There are just too damn many ignorant flag wavers around.

[demdave]

13. The CIA used the human shield program to infiltrate....excuse the link

But as disclosed in our report, the scheme was strictly the work of the CIA working with the military and using undercover agents posing as "human shields" to set up and carry out the operation, which probably saved the lives of countless numbers of U.S. forces.


http://www.newsmax.com/showinsidecover.shtml?a=2003/8/10/180000


I am posting because the article says thast the New York Times, Aug.9 also reported on the CIA involvement. I don't have that link....so put on your boots and hold your nose. If someone has a link to the Times article...please post it. Thanks