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UPDATE:  Veterans for Peace Iraq Water Project,

October 9, 2006

 

LIFE Press Release - October 9, 2006

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LIFE Mourns the Loss of One of Its Key Humanitarian Aid Workers in Iraq

 

Southfield, Michigan (10/9/2006) The board and staff of Life for Relief and Development (LIFE), an American humanitarian relief organization based in Southfield Michigan is mourning the loss of one its key humanitarian aid workers in Iraq, Abdul-Sattar Abdullah Al-Mashhadani.

 

Abdul-Sattar was the Director of Programs for the LIFE Baghdad Office, and oversaw many of LIFE's humanitarian projects in the war-torn nation, including opening of medical clinics, renovating schools, and more recently completing a major water treatment plant project in southern Iraq, in partnership with UNICEF.

 

Last Friday (10/6), Abdel-Sattar had informed our Staff that he had received a sectarian death threat to leave his house, in the Huriya distict of Baghdad. His family had reported that the following morning, on Saturday, he packed up his belongings, sent his family to safety and took a taxi to seek safety. Eyewitnesses had reported that his taxi was stopped at a checkpoint run by one of the sectarian militias. After apparently showing his ID card, Abdel-Sattar and the driver were pulled from the car, taken away and killed in cold blood by shots to the head, execution style, according to these eyewitnesses. He is yet another victim of the senseless violence in Iraq

 

This tragic event was not only a shock to his family and co-workers, but to many who knew him.  Many who had worked with Abdel-Sattar describe him as being a quiet, polite and kind man.  He was 43 years, and is survived by his four children, his pregnant wife who is expecting to deliver in 2 months, and three brothers. His future fifth child will unfortunately never meet his father.  His body was laid to rest today.

 

Commenting on this tragic loss, Dr. Khalil Jassemm, CEO of LIFE, said, "Our staff members in Iraq are really risking their lives everyday to do the badly needed humanitarian work that the country desperately needs. In the end, Abdel-Sattar paid the ultimate price.  He will be greatly missed."

 

LIFE is the only American humanitarian organization that is working all throughout Iraq.  Other US charities either work only in the north or the south of the country due to the ongoing violence.  The senseless violence in Iraq must stop and solutions to the conflicts must be addressed by the appropriate decision makers.

 

LIFE's staff and board members send their condolences to Abdel-Sattar's family and pray for their safety and well-being.  For more information, please contact the LIFE office at the number listed above, or 800-827-3543, or by visiting the website: http://www.lifeusa.org

 

LIFE provides medical and relief supplies to civilian populations around the world, without regard to race, color, creed, or ethnic origin.

 

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