Part 1 of 2 By Liz Lucas Amidst the rubble some items nudged out: A bassinette, a teapot, cracked frames and ripped photographs. By my foot was a piece of cracked plastic and pages of Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea” fluttered by. I was standing on what once was a family’s home. In…
By Liz Lucas “Happy shooting” seems to be the new normal here. It’s been over a month since Tripoli fell and from my hotel I can still hear the bullets that soldiers shoot into the air each night. In other towns throughout the country it is the same. The celebratory shooting is new to Libya.…
At last, the long war against Voldemort and his army of Death Eaters has been brought to a responsible end. A short time ago, just a small band of brave witches and wizards at Hogwarts School stood between the dark forces and their ascension to power. Now their evil leader is dead, his armies are…
By Kristele Younes When civilians die in war, the public is understandably outraged. In Afghanistan, in the past few months, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has come under heavy criticism from President Karzai for a series of incidents that have cost innocent lives. Fueled by the President’s statements, public anger is mounting, which ISAF…
By Major Dennis Sugrue It is an unfortunate reality of war that innocent civilians are harmed. As a US Army Soldier, I recognize the importance of protecting civilians, especially during combat operations. Despite our care, civilian casualties and property damage do occur. I recall the great initiative that we took in Afghanistan to make amends…
By Kristele Younes When I met Souheid, I was already overwhelmed by the toll this conflict is taking on civilians. But Souheid made me understand that I was only seeing the tip of the iceberg. Lying on his bed in a Benghazi hospital, this 8 year-old told me of how his whole life changed after…
By Sarah Holewinski I wouldn’t drive a car without working brakes. And I need a wheel to steer, and a speedometer to tell me when I’m not following the speed limit. Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) will assume responsibility for the security and stability of their own country by 2014. But as a big moving…
Imam, a Libyan woman whose husband was killed last month while out buying food, told CIVIC: “I don’t want my husband to be just another statistic.” Kristele just returned from Benghazi, in Eastern Libya, where she met with civilian victims and their families to assess their losses and needs. She met many like Imam, mourning…
By Kristele Younes Heading into Libya was quite an experience. As the conflict rages on, and the no-fly zone is enforced by the international community, the town of Benghazi in eastern Libya was only accessible by road from Egypt. Yet the nineteen hours it took to get there from Cairo were not enough to prepare…