December 3, 2008 Citizens Who Stand Up to Terrorists
Situations that seem to only reveal the worst in people sometimes end up showcasing the best. This is often the case with terrorism, as we saw last weekend in two unrelated incidents. In the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, one of the first sites of the widespread violence was Leopold's Cafe, a popular tourist spot. As the lower level of the restaurant was seized by violence, Australian Steve Smith leaped to action. The 43-year old helicopter pilot quickly evaluated the situation and took swift steps that would save dozens of lives. Hearing two grenade blasts and a spray of AK-47 fire on the level below, Smith remembered seeing a storage area on the second floor of the cafe. He stuffed 30 people into the tight storage space. Then, he barricaded the stairwell, dodging bullets in order to do so. In Iraq on Sunday, four people working for National Public Radio's Iraq bureau were saved from a sticky bomb that was attached to their vehicle after they stopped to report a story on Baghdad's Rabiye Street. Just as the news team was heading back to their armored car, Iraqi soldiers stopped them from approaching the vehicle, warning of a possible bomb. Moments later, the vehicle exploded. The team later found out that the Iraqi troops received an anonymous tip about the bomb, which had been attached to the car with a magnet during the hour or so that the news team was gathering interviews. These two acts are mere drops in the bucket of those who have chosen to stand up to the tyranny of terrorism. But if terrorists are to be beaten, it is just this sort of bravery that will do it. * * * Nominated by the BuzzFlash staff.
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