In his July 7 op-ed, “Libya becomes a democracy,” Libyan Ambassador Ali Suleiman Aujali promised that “Libyans will never forget America’s leadership and commitment to protect civilians during the revolution,” but civilians need more than just memories of protection. The new Libyan government should make the explicit commitment to protect its own citizens going forward.…
Submitted Testimony of Erica Gaston, Center field researcher in Afghanistan to US Senate Committee on Appropriations on the need for recognition, compensation, and other assistance in Afghanistan. CIVIC Testimony April 2009 Afghan Assistance ### Notes to editors: Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC)’s mission is to improve protection for civilians caught in conflicts around the world.…
The Iraqis I met a few weeks ago are still fleeing car bombs and sniper fire, but they’re not running for their lives. Instead, they are running for a living, earning money by playing distraught civilians in a fake Iraqi province called Ghanzi. Created by the U.S. military in California’s Mojave Desert, Ghanzi is part…
A year ago tomorrow, in Baghdad, a young woman from California was killed by a suicide bomb. Marla Ruzicka was working to get aid to Iraqi civilians harmed by U.S. military operations when her car and that of her colleague Faiz Ali Salim was destroyed on the now-infamous airport road. Marla’s legacy lives on in…