Marla Ruzicka

WaPo reported In a one-woman battle for the victims of war, 28-year-old Marla Ruzicka won over Congress and the U.S. military, persuading the United States to free a precedent-setting $20 million for civilians it injured by mistake in Afghanistan and Iraq. Ruzicka was killed Saturday on Baghdad's most dangerous road when a suicide bomber aiming for a U.S. convoy pulled up alongside her and detonated his explosives.

Two years ago, she founded a Washington-based organization called Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict. Ruzicka came from the isolated, hilly town of Lakeport, Calif. What started out as anti-war fervor during college took her to Washington, then to Afghanistan and Iraq. "The amazing thing is she came here as an anti-war activist, really," said Tim Rieser, an aide to Leahy who worked closely with Ruzicka on compensating Afghan and Iraq families. But she "quickly saw that wasn't the way to accomplish what she felt strongest about, which was to help innocent people who were wounded -- to get Congress, get the U.S. military to do that."

"In that sense, she accomplished what frankly nobody has ever accomplished," Rieser said. "Programs were created for Afghanistan and for Iraq to provide assistance to victims of U.S. military mistakes." Ruzicka could get Bianca Jagger to a party in Kabul, win millions in public and private funds for war victims and change the way the United States handled war, colleagues said. Blonde, with hair variously in dreadlocks or extensions, Ruzicka could "talk, smile and bust her way into all the meetings she needed -- with Afghans, Iraqis, U.S. military and U.S. Embassy people," said Quil Lawrence, a journalist who had met her in Kabul.

In Iraq, Ruzicka donned a neck-to-ankle black abaya, hiding her status as a foreigner to guard against being kidnapped, and met with families of Iraqis who had been killed in the war. Salim, a pilot with Iraqi Airways, was won over enough to drive her for two years and to keep her project going when Iraq became too dangerous for her to work.

Cori Dauber blogged More coverage of the death of a "victims champion." But the Post, at least, also mentions that her Iraqi aide was also killed. Interesting, isn't it, that CNN and NBC were so eager to praise her for her efforts on behalf of the Iraqi people, but didn't find the fact that an Iraqi who worked at her side died at her side was worth mentioning? This article points out that she began as an anti-war activist, which at least edges closer to clearly articulating who she was. But why put this in? "This time Ruzicka stayed in Baghdad longer than she had planned because she believed she had found the key to establishing that the U.S. military kept records of its civilian victims, despite its official statements otherwise, colleagues said." It suggests, based on what friends of hers say she believed, that the military is holding out on everyone. But there's no evidence to support that. In essence it's a rumor that the military is lying -- and without evidence, despite the fact that it explains her motive for staying the extra week. But without that evidence, it has no place in a news article. It's merely an inflammatory accusation.

Joe Gandelman blogged Here's yet another indication that car bombs are ideologically-blind and are equal opportunity destroyers. This underscores a trend that has emerged several times during this war. There have been some people killed — including several decapitated by terrorists — that went over to Iraq to help the Iraqi people. When people go over there it is, however, a "given" that they are putting their lives on the line. Bombs, insurgents and unabashed terrorists don't give a fig about ideology — just a body count or spectacular death that can create fear and trigger grief inducing publicity.

Marla Ruzicka was just trying to help the Iraqi people