WASHINGTON, May 1, 2005 – Rubar S. Sandi, an Iraqi businessman, wants the American public to know U.S. troops killed in Iraq have not died in vain. "Your sons, your husband," he said to the wife of Army Capt. Bill Jacobsen, who died in a suicide-bomb attack in Mosul, Iraq, "I don't call them dead; they live in every one of us.
"You all need to be proud of your sons and daughters," he said. "They are doing a terrific job. Their lives have definitely not been wasted. They are there because of you."
Sandi, an outspoken critic of Saddam Hussein, was a guest speaker at an April 27 luncheon sponsored by the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, which aims to help families through the grief process.
Sandi, president and CEO of The Sandi Group, a security and logistics firm with headquarters in Washington and Baghdad, and one of the largest employers in Iraq, said that despite the violence in Iraq, the majority of Iraqis appreciate the sacrifice U.S. servicemembers have made for their country.
"The message (Iraqis) have for America is to please stay," he said.
Sandi explained that Iraqis see violence against Americans as a "horrible thing."
"If you ask the Iraqi people, the majority -- 95 percent -- will say they are happier," he said. "If you go through the streets of Baghdad you see restaurants and tea shops open until (2 or 3 a.m.). |