When the red cross flag is seen as a terrorist target

[Moloch]

AMMAN, JORDAN--It may be only an hour's flight from the hell of Baghdad, but this tranquil capital seems like it's a world away. For humanitarian aid groups forced to flee Iraq (news - web sites), bland limestone office buildings and plush hotel lobbies here provide a temporary outpost from which to try to sustain at least some relief efforts. "We're operating by remote control," says Roger Guarda, who heads the Iraq mission for the United Nations (news - web sites) Development Program. "We stayed in Somalia, Sierra Leone, and Liberia (news - web sites). Iraq is one of the only countries where we evacuated."

Today, no more than a handful of western aid groups maintain a staff in Iraq. Since the suicide bomb attack on the United Nations offices last year, the threats, kidnappings, and violence against western humanitarian workers--most recently the abduction-murder of CARE International's Margaret Hassan--have forced even the most intrepid groups, such as World Vision and Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders (news - web sites)), to pull out.

No go. The UNDP moved all of its national and local staff members to Amman. It has turned to contractors and Iraqis with previous U.N. experience to carry on some work. The UNDP is attempting to administer $80 million worth of projects--about three quarters of its planned commitment--but other groups have had to cut off many of their activities because of the dangers. "We are seen as collaborators," says Guarda, "and it doesn't help that the little presence we do have inside Iraq is inside the international zone and that every time we move out of the international zone it is under the protection of the Americans."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=926&ncid=959&e=3&u=/usnews/20041127/ts_usnews/whentheredcrossflagisseenasaterroristtarget

[democracyindanger]

1. Stupid reporter

The Red Cross doesn't operate in Iraq. The Red CRESCENT does, because of the issues that using a Crusader symbol in Muslim countries raises.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Correction the Red Crescent is the NATIONAL SOCIETY

the International Committee of the Red Cross did OPERATE in Iraq wiht the Red Cross surrounded by the worlds International Committee of the Red Cross.

By the way, I was a Red Cross Medic with a National Society... (no not the American Red Cross, one that actually had medics and learned the Conventions)... and you would do well to look the photos of ICRC vehicles in Iraq... they DO HAVE Red Crosses on them... as well as the National Society, which has Red Crescents on them... used to be that the third symbol was the Red Lion... piece of trivia, the first time the Red Crescent was used, it was used by the Turkish National Society.

[democracyindanger]

5. Then stupid me.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. no, it is not stupid

we all make mistakes and this is not somethiing people follow on a regular basis...

I do, profesional hazard, but most people do not.

Don't feel bad

;-)

[bhikkhu]

2. Odd how punitive sanctions, invasion, occupation,

can turn a people against foreigners. Perhaps they were not sufficiently shocked and awed.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. you know what

having been there, done that (received fire while responding to a call with full symbols on the rig), I know the fear...

Godamit I wish they did not ahve to fear, but oh well, to quote Gonzales, the Conventions are quaint... when you have such an attitude, forget it... it rolls down hill