Genocide expert dies in US crash

[IndianaGreen]

Source: BBC News

Genocide expert dies in US crash

Page last updated at 17:02 GMT, Saturday, 14 February 2009

The court trying alleged perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide has expressed its shock at the death in an air crash of a top expert on the 1994 massacres.

Alison Des Forges, 66, was among 50 people killed in a plane crash on Thursday near Buffalo, New York state.

A spokesman for the the UN tribunal for Rwanda called her death "a great loss", said AFP news agency.

Ms Des Forges was an expert adviser to the court on the genocide, in which some 800,000 people were killed.

"It is with deep shock that the tribunal has learned of the tragic disappearance of Alison Des Forges," said Roland Amoussouga, a spokesman for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

"It is a great loss for the world of human rights, international justice and the whole of humanity," he added.


Ms Des Forges wrote a key study
of the Rwanda genocide

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7890455.stm

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RIP Alison!

[mediaman007]

1. I just knew there would be someone politically significant on board!

[barbtries]

3. you know she wasn't the only one

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-02-13-victims_N.htm

[Ex Lurker]

4. yes, very strange that so many "inconvenient" people were on this plane n/t

[Baby Snooks]

5. Strange but not sinister....

Just a horrible tragedy caused by the unwillingness of the FAA to ensure that all commercial aircraft have the technology to prevent many of these tragedies. The smaller regional airlines all use turboprops and their de-icing systems are all manual. The problem is that there is always the danger that there will be too thick an accumulation of ice by the time the pilots realize there is icing. Which apparently is what happened here. It is also possible the de-icing system wasn't working.

[Tab]

7. No, this isn't a conspiracy theory thing

Little planes have pneumatic bladder/bra deicers, unlike big planes that have electrically heated deicers, and this is an unfortunate result of insufficient equipment (not that it's cost-effective to do small planes) for deicing.

Shit happens. Regrettable, but I wouldn't ascribe any sinister purpose to it.

[Posteritatis]

10. Yes, yes, every plane crash like this is because of Republican spies, right (nt)

[dixiegrrrrl]

11. what a...."co-incidence".

[Delphinus]

2. I think she will

rest in peace.

[Runcible Spoon]

6. That is tragic. GOD(s): is it TOO MUCH to ask that any downed planes contain only BANKERS?

PLEASE! :cry:

[The abyss]

8. Interesting, to say the least!

Thank you Indiana for this link! I knew about the 911 widow, not this one.

[peace13]

9. For what ever reason these people died I would like to note...

that there are a lot of neat people on this planet, trying to make this a better place. Tears and a shake of the head as to why these folks had to leave us. Please make us better, stronger people to get the job that is ahead of us done. Peace and love, to the family and friends that they leave behind. Peace, Kim

[Mnemosyne]

12. Peace in your journey, Ms. Des Forges.

The world is better for you having been here. :cry:

[RFKHumphreyObama]

13. My sentiments exactly

May you rest in peace Ms Des Forges. May your legacy endure forever and may there be many more like you

:cry:

[Mnemosyne]

15. There are so many trying so hard.

:cry:

Here's to those still fighting for justice.

[Doctor_J]

14. enemies/annoyances of the Bush Crime Family need to be careful

the BFEE's backs are against the wall with investigations into torture, genocide, 9/11, corruption, etc. It could get ugly for awhile.

[bottomtheweaver]

16. Funny how two prominent truth-tellers got whacked

via the preferred Bushler method of rubbing out troublesome types who refuse to accept their bribes and shut up.

[HamdenRice]

17. She was a dynamite lady. I knew her briefly in the 90s

I attended several of her briefings on human rights in Africa. I never saw anyone give briefings that were so passionate.

She was a great person who saved many lives.