Cyd Mizell

Cyd Mizell, an American woman teaching in Afghanistan,was kidnapped on her way to work on January 26, 2008.
Fast Facts:
1. Age:49
2. Wearinga burqa
3. No one has claimed responsibility
4. Works for: Asian Rural Life Development Foundation
5. Taught English at Kandahar University
6. Six gunmen seen
7. Driver,Abdul Hadi, also kidnapped

CydMizell’s Condition Unknown
Filed under: Afghanistan, Feature, Pakistan, Terrorism — marc moore on January28, 2008 @ 7:14 pm CET From ABC: On Monday, the police chief of Kandahar province, Sayed Agha Saqib,said police had not turned up any new information about the kidnapping.“All of our security forces and intelligence agents are trying to find them,”he said… “Nobody really knows” who the kidnappers are, [foundation director Jeff] Palmersaid, adding that the Asian Rural Life Development Foundation had takenprecautionary measures for other staff members in Kandahar. He declined to givefurther details.Mizell, who taught English at Kandahar University and gave embroidery lessonsat a girl’s school, speaks the local Pashtu language well, colleagues said. Shehas worked for ARLDF in Kandahar for the last three years, Palmer said.…Kidnappings of Afghans have been on the rise in the last year, including theabduction of dozens of Afghans. Rumors persist of foreign governments payinglarge ransoms to win the freedom of their citizens.2 South Korean kidnap victims were killed last year while in the custody ofterrorists, so Ms. Mizell’s safety is by no means certain, particularly if theU.S. is contacted and is unwilling to cooperate, as per policy.As Claudia described earlier, terrorists armed with rocket launchers andexplosives also held than 300 school children hostage and threatened to blowthem up after failing to kidnap a local government official.Happily, this standoff has come to an end, apparently without any of theyoungsters being harmed.
Please pray for Cyd Mizell’s safety.