August 16, 2003 - The Oregonian: Somber reminders of danger

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By Admin1 (admin) on Sunday, August 17, 2003 - 8:42 pm: Edit Post

Somber reminders of danger





Read and comment on this editorial from The Oregonian on the three members of the Mercy Corps who were lost during a horrendous four-day period earlier this month, one in Afghanistan and two in Eritrea. The attacks are a reminder that service to fellow human beings can be dangerous work -- especially when it involves the kind of emergency relief that is such a prominent part of Mercy Corps' portfolio.

The attack in Afghanistan, sadly, also underlines a more sobering truth: The United States and the rest of the international community remain far from their goal of establishing a functioning, secure, modern state in Afghanistan. The attack on the humanitarian volunteer came in a region where local warlords, Taliban fighters and meddling agents from nearby Pakistan all compete for power in a near-chaotic atmosphere.

Leaders in the Bush administration say we are making progress in both Afghanistan and Iraq. The messages from the trenches in both struggles are considerably less optimistic, however. The administration would do well to listen carefully to such news. Read the editorial at:


Somber reminders of danger*

* This link was active on the date it was posted. PCOL is not responsible for broken links which may have changed.



Somber reminders of danger

08/16/03

This is a somber week at Portland-based Mercy Corps, the worldwide relief organization that has achieved so much success in recent years.

In the agency's 24-year history, eight of its workers have died while working on Mercy Corps projects. Three of them were lost during a horrendous four-day period earlier this month. One, Raz Mohammad, was killed Aug. 7 in an attack by gunmen near Kandahar, in southern Afghanistan. On Sunday, a Mercy Corps vehicle was attacked in Eritrea. Program officer Habtemariam Tsegay Tegbaru and Haileab Simret Yosief, who had joined the agency nine days earlier, were killed. Their driver, Habtay Tesfaldet Berhe, was shot four times but is expected to recover.

The attacks are a reminder that service to fellow human beings can be dangerous work -- especially when it involves the kind of emergency relief that is such a prominent part of Mercy Corps' portfolio. They also underline the bravery and sacrifice of these workers, many of whom are our fellow Portlanders, Oregonians and Northwesterners.

One of the remarkable things about this community and region is the sense of service embedded in the culture. Peace Corps officials, for example, never tire of pointing out that the Northwest provides a disproportionate percentage of its volunteers.

The attack in Afghanistan, sadly, also underlines a more sobering truth: The United States and the rest of the international community remain far from their goal of establishing a functioning, secure, modern state in Afghanistan. The attack on the humanitarian volunteer came in a region where local warlords, Taliban fighters and meddling agents from nearby Pakistan all compete for power in a near-chaotic atmosphere.

This matters to the United States because this is the atmosphere that produced and incubated the likes of the al- Qaida terror network. We cannot afford to fumble away the initial success in the war on terror, but there is every possibility that we could.

A growing number of incidents -- Wednesday's bus bombing in Kabul, for example -- and the continued ineffectiveness of Western efforts to bring security to rural Afghanistan make the task all the more urgent.

"Soon Afghans will turn against the Americans the way they turned against the Russians," one aid worker in Kandahar was told by several Afghan acquaintances recently. It's a real possibility.

Leaders in the Bush administration say we are making progress in both Afghanistan and Iraq. The messages from the trenches in both struggles are considerably less optimistic, however. The administration would do well to listen carefully to such news.




Click on a link below for more stories on PCOL

8/10/03
Call your Senator in August

Minnesota Sen. Coleman
Minnesota RPCVs should call Senator Norm Coleman and ask him to introduce an amendment to the Senate Foreign Operations Bill for President Bush's full $359M Peace Corps appropriation. RPCVs from other states should call their Senators and ask them to support the amendment.
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House of Representatives passes Charter
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Kevin Quigley named new NPCA President
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Op-ed: The Future of the Peace Corps
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The Shrivers: A Special Legacy
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For the Record: Top Stories in the last 30 days
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They Will Remember 8 Aug
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PC Announces University Partnerships 6 Aug
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RPCV sees deprivation and dignity in Africa 5 August
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RPCV and spouse work to end Liberia civil war 4 August
Memorial Fund established for RPCV 4 August
PCV hits the road in recumbent bicycle 3 Aug
PCV met President Bush in Botswana 1 August
Don't Mind the Goats 1 Aug
PC celebrates anniversary in East Timor 31 July
RPCV is new director of San Isabel Foundation 31 July
Parents recall PCV Zack Merrill 30 July
The AmeriCorps Follies 30 July
RPCV writes "What India means to me" 29 July
RPCV says Liberians want American aid 29 July
Vasquez to speak in Mexico 29 July
AmeriCorps Violated Budget Law 28 July
War-Zone Peace Corps? 27 July
Peace Corps good for America 27 July
Investigation on death of PCV 25 July
House passes $314M PC Appropriation 24 July
Send in the Peace Corps 23 July
Peace Corps to Reopen in Jordan 22 July
Peace Corps Writers announce awards 22 July
Call Now - Disaster ahead for PC Budget 21 July
Changing face of the Peace Corps 20 July
Older Volunteers Heed the Call to Volunteer 19 July
PC to get $49M less than requested 17 July
House passes Peace Corps Charter Bill 16 July
House Set to Vote on new PC Bill 16 July
Sen. Coleman's Speech at PC HQ 15 July
Peace Corps mum on PCV death 15 July
Sen. Coleman to push for PC accountability 15 July
Call Congress - PC Funding in Trouble 15 July
Kevin Quigley Named new NPCA President 14 July
RPCV witnessed bloodshed in Liberia 14 July
RPCV says US will find WMD in Iraq 13 July
President Bush meets PCVs in Botswana 12 July
House to consider Peace Corps Bill 11 July
Kennedy and the Third Goal 11 July
FDA orders Lariam warning 10 July
RPCV Artist exhibits at Corcoran in DC 10 July
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This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Safety and Security of Volunteers; COS - Afghanistan; COS - Eritrea; Iraq

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