The debate over the war is intense and heartfelt, but for those of us far removed from combat and who do not have family engaged in the conflict, Iraq can seem abstract–a source of sincere but somewhat clinical concern.
At NEWSWEEK, however, the war felt painfully personal last week when Andrea Parhamovich– “Andi” to her friends–was killed in an ambush in Baghdad. A 28-year-old civilian consultant working for the nonprofit National Democratic Institute, she was in a convoy when gunmen opened fire; Al Qaeda-linked Sunni insurgents claimed responsibility.
For us, it was a death in the family. Mike Hastings, one of our Baghdad correspondents, had been planning a Valentine’s Day trip to Paris next month to ask Andi to marry him. A native of Perry, Ohio, near Cleveland, she was a Democratic activist; in Iraq, her mission was an example of one of the noblest elements of the American experiment there: explaining the mechanics of democratic politics to people long brutalized by Saddam. In the aftermath of her death, Mike sent in these reflections on Andi, and on the place where she gave her life:
“First, I loved her, and if there is a cliché about love at first sight, this was it. Why is she so special? A blonde hair blue eyed girl from Ohio; wonderful, kind, good, bright, funny, a handful, and, as all her friends would say, she was truly ‘pure of heart.’ She could not stand injustice. She always believed in humanity at its best–and though she would often be let down, her belief in our goodness, in what’s right and what’s wrong, was unshakable. She stuck to her principles, no matter what she was up against. Stubborn as heck, too. She had a glow, and there was an ethereal, angelic quality about her.
“The last time we talked we were planning on where, after Baghdad, we wanted to live next. We discussed our plans for a Paris vacation, scheduled next month. She was on her path, and looking forward to the future. She was planning on joining a presidential campaign, probably by this summer.
“We all take risks over here, and we know the risks. It’s part of the job. But killing a soldier or getting whacked as a war correspondent is one thing–still tragic yet somehow more acceptable–but killing a civilian here to help is just despicable. Shouldn’t have happened. Is it worth it? Good question, don’t have an answer really. I hope it is, have my doubts, but more so, I hope she isn’t forgotten. She wanted to be here, to be a part of history. She loved the adventure and the romance of it all. She loved helping people, making a difference. She loved politics; her heroes were Joan of Arc and Empress SiSi of Austria. (In other words: strong independent women. Like I said, she was a handful.)
“America could not have asked for a better face, a better representative in Iraq. She’s the best and the brightest of her generation, the best of what our country stands for, and she was killed by truly evil people with a bankrupt ideology. I sound like Bush, but I think we can sometimes forget how bad these guys are.”
title: “Editor S Desk” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-08” author: “Juan Floyd”
Last week his words looked all too prescient. As Christopher Dickey reports in our cover story, the 10 bomb attacks that ripped apart train stations around Madrid and left at least 200 people dead evoked eerie memories of 9/11. First there were the images of bloodshed and grief, then the national outpouring of public outrage and solidarity–then the conspiracy theories that fixed on the timing of the assaults, exactly 911 days after our tragedy, again on the 11th of the month. By the weekend, authorities had arrested five suspects, and were scrambling to figure out where the evidence led. To Basque separatists trying to hide their tracks? To Al Qaeda, announcing that it’s still in business? To other fanatics angry over Spain’s support for the war in Iraq? Or, perhaps, to some alliance of all three? Whatever the source, Michael Hirsh points out that the method of attack has ominous implications for the future of terror everywhere. While we’ve fought the last war–by going after Al Qaeda ringleaders and beefing up security at high-profile targets like airports and skyscrapers–the terrorist threat may have morphed into smaller groups plotting strikes at far more vulnerable targets like trains and subways and ports.
Since 9/11, it also hasn’t been the easiest time for many U.S. immigrants of color. But Barbara Kantrowitz and Julie Scelfo profile one group that is rising rapidly in virtually every realm of American life: first- and second-generation success stories from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. We also give you a list of South Asians to watch, from business, technology and medicine to politics, journalism and the arts. And in case you’re wondering, only their modesty prevented us from including two of our most valued colleagues: NEWSWEEK international Editor Fareed Zakaria and his managing editor, Nisid Hajari.
