Red Cross shuts Iraq's Baghdad, Basra offices

http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters11-08-012726.asp?reg=MIDEAST

GENEVA, Nov. 8 — The International Committee of the Red Cross has decided to shut its offices in the Iraqi capital Baghdad and the southern city of Basra due to concerns over its staff's safety, the Swiss-based organisation said on Saturday.

''We are temporarily closing our offices in Baghdad and Basra. We are still discussing what to do with our foreign staff. The situation is extremely dangerous and volatile,'' ICRC spokesman Florian Westphal said.

He was confirming a report by Zurich's Tages-Anzeiger newspaper, which quoted ICRC President Jacob Kellenberger as saying that the group had decided not to operate in Iraq under military protection, which he said was irreconcilable with its concept of independent humanitarian action.

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The bush team says we need to look at the sunny side, stop concentrating on the bad things. If the Red Crosss is happy, nothing bad will happen to them.

have red cross offices ever been closed before in such a time of need?

because it would have drawn too much attention then. But they really decided then to close but waited some time until the story blew over and many people would notice they shut down. I don't think most Americans have any idea what's going on. (Sorry, My Fellow Americans.)

I'd give this 90% probability.