“May God bless their souls, and give us the same courage to forget the pain we endured in losing them,” said Consul General Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley in a memorial service for those who lost their lives in the Dec. 6 terrorist attack on the mission in Jeddah



“May God bless their souls, and give us the same courage to forget the pain we endured in losing them,” said Consul General Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley in a memorial service for those who lost their lives in the Dec. 6 terrorist attack on the mission in Jeddah

US Consulate Pays Tribute to Victims of Terror Attack
K.S. Ramkumar • Arab News


JEDDAH, 17 December 2004 — The US Consulate General held a memorial service on Wednesday for those who lost their lives in the Dec. 6 terrorist attack on the mission in Jeddah. “The consulate community, along with their families and friends, saluted the courage and bravery of the colleagues lost in the terrorist attack,” a consulate statement said yesterday.

Representing the Kingdom at the memorial service was Ahmed Al-Ahmadi, second secretary for protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jeddah.

Also present was Ambassador Francis X. Taylor, assistant secretary of state for diplomatic security, who was visiting from Washington.

In Riyadh, US Ambassador James C. Oberwetter led the embassy staff in a memorial service on the same day. At the US Consulate in Dhahran, a moment of silence was observed, following earlier ceremonies, according to Consul General Alfred F. Fonteneau.

“May God bless their souls, and give us the same courage to forget the pain we endured in losing them,” Consul General Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley said. “We’ll always remember the heroism they demonstrated.”

The consulate named the terrorist victims as Ali Yaslem Bin Talib, Imad e-Deen Musa Ali, Romeo de la Rosa, Mohammed Baheer Uddin and Jaufar Sadik.

“A plaque bearing the names of these men, who came from Yemen, Sudan, Philippines, India and Sri Lanka, will be hung with honor in the consulate,” she said.

“Five palm trees have also been planted on the consulate grounds in memory of these colleagues, whose length of service ranged between one and one-half to more than 26 years.”

During the service, one could see the American flag that was flying over the chancery on the morning of the attack. “Like this flag that endured the attack, the heroic spirit and courageous souls of our five friends will also endure,” the consul general added. Several of the consulate staff reflected on the lives and untimely deaths of their colleagues.

The service included a moment of silence, as well as readings from the Qur’an and the Bible.

When this story was posted in December 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:

Our debt to Bill Moyers Former Peace Corps Deputy Director Bill Moyers leaves PBS next week to begin writing his memoir of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Read what Moyers says about journalism under fire, the value of a free press, and the yearning for democracy. "We have got to nurture the spirit of independent journalism in this country," he warns, "or we'll not save capitalism from its own excesses, and we'll not save democracy from its own inertia."

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December 10, 2004: This Week's Top Stories Dodd says Rumsfeld's answer was unacceptable 9 Dec RPCV Blake Willeford runs classic movie theatre 9 Dec RPCV says education is key to curbing AIDS 9 Dec RPCV Dannielle Tegeder opens exhibition 9 Dec Shalala 1st Woman In Touchdown Club 9 Dec "Today we have a new country" says Toledo 9 Dec DDN wins Investigative Reporting Award 8 Dec Celeste on Panel to study Colorado finances 8 Dec RPCV leads Rotary Club medical team to Togo 6 Dec Vasquez to speak at Hawaii, Wisconsin commencements 6 Dec Tom Murphy warns Pittsburgh on budget abyss 2 Dec Venezuela RPCV Martha Egan runs Pachamama imports 30 Nov more top stories...

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RPCV safe after Terrorist Attack RPCV Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, the U.S. consul general in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia survived Monday's attack on the consulate without injury. Five consular employees and four others were killed. Abercrombie-Winstanley, the first woman to hold the position, has been an outspoken advocate of rights for Arab women and has met with Saudi reformers despite efforts by Saudi leaders to block the discussions.

Is Gaddi Leaving? Rumors are swirling that Peace Corps Director Vasquez may be leaving the administration. We think Director Vasquez has been doing a good job and if he decides to stay to the end of the administration, he could possibly have the same sort of impact as a Loret Ruppe Miller. If Vasquez has decided to leave, then Bob Taft, Peter McPherson, Chris Shays, or Jody Olsen would be good candidates to run the agency. Latest: For the record, Peace Corps has no comment on the rumors.

The Birth of the Peace Corps UMBC's Shriver Center and the Maryland Returned Volunteers hosted Scott Stossel, biographer of Sargent Shriver, who spoke on the Birth of the Peace Corps. This is the second annual Peace Corps History series - last year's speaker was Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn.

Vote "Yes" on NPCA's bylaw changes Take our new poll. NPCA members begin voting this week on bylaw changes to streamline NPCA's Board of Directors. NPCA Chair Ken Hill, the President's Forum and other RPCVs endorse the changes. Mail in your ballot or vote online (after Dec 1), then see on how RPCVs are voting.

Charges possible in 1976 PCV slaying Congressman Norm Dicks has asked the U.S. attorney in Seattle to consider pursuing charges against Dennis Priven, the man accused of killing Peace Corps Volunteer Deborah Gardner on the South Pacific island of Tonga 28 years ago. Background on this story here and here.

Your vote makes a difference Make a difference on November 2 - Vote. Then take our RPCV exit poll. See how RPCV's are voting and take a look at the RPCV voter demographic. Finally leave a message on why you voted for John Kerry or for George Bush. Previous poll results here.

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