Terrorist attacks and lock down

It has been a very sad and scary week since i last blogged. Maybe some of you are not aware, but Kampala, Uganda was bombed sunday night. 74 people were killed, including one American. It was so sad. I copied some of an article below about it online so i didn't have to explain the news part of it.

Monday we spent under lock down at the house. They expected more bombs to go off, and it was a pretty scary situation since foreigners had been targeted watching the world cup at a restaurant. we didn't know if we were going to get flown out a week early, or if the us embassy was going to do anything. i've never felt so trapped and vulnerable, wow. before i go on, know that everything is okay here. we are out working again and just being very cautious. it makes me so sad to think about all the conflict and hate that targets innocent people. before i came to africa, i would have read about the uganda bombings as a headline on the internet and just thought it was really sad and forgotten about it in an hour or two. but now, the conflict directly affects my friends. i know the people here, and i love them. it makes my heart ache to think that if things got worse i would be taken care of and able to leave the country and return to safety, but my ugandan friends would be the ones to suffer. and it is all because there is corruption and so much hate. its just really sad.

the good news is that we are safe and still able to work now. we started our big EYE CAMP on tuesday and it has had incredible success. on Tuesday we did 34 surgeries and gave out 100 pairs of glasses. wednesday we gave out another 100 pairs of glasses and did 25 cataract surgeries. On wednesday i spent all day out in Naggalama helping and even got to go into the surgery room and watch them remove the cataracts! it was soo cool but really strange to see at the same time! but i figured it would be neat to see what my dad does every week in the hospital so i went for it. kim, the girl i went in with, actually ended up fainting into my arms haha. she was fine, it was just kind of funny. on wednesday though at the eye camp i was able to do vision screening! so i'd have them read the letter chart that you do at the eye doctors office, and then i'd record their prescription on a piece of paper and send them on their way. it was a really good experience and i'm glad we have every day until monday to keep doing it! we've already screened over 600 people, its great!

well, its my last week here and i'm going to make sure i finish working hard! i love Uganda, and i'll never forget all the amazing people i've met and what they have taught me!
-ashley

New al-Qaida threat: Somali group claims blasts

By MAX DELANY and JASON STRAZIUSO, Associated Press Writers Max Delany And Jason Straziuso, Associated Press Writers – Mon Jul 12, 7:14 pm ET

KAMPALA, Uganda – East Africa saw the emergence of a new international terrorist group Monday, as Somalia's most dangerous al-Qaida-linked militia claimed responsibility for the twin bombings in Uganda that killed 74 people during the World Cup.

The claim by al-Shabab, whose fighters are trained by militant veterans of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, resets the security equation in East Africa and has broader implications worldwide. The group in the past has recruited Somali-Americans to carry out suicide bombings in Mogadishu.

Al-Shabab, an ultraconservative Islamic group that has drawn comparisons to the Taliban, has long threatened to attack outside of Somalia's borders, but the bombings late Sunday are the first time the group has done so.

Rage said a second country with peacekeeping forces in Mogadishu — Burundi — could soon face attacks. Fighting in Mogadishu between militants and Somali troops or African Union peacekeepers frequently kills civilians.

The attacks outside Somalia represent a dangerous new step in al-Shabab's increasingly militant path and raises questions about its future plans. The U.S. State Department has declared al-Shabab a terrorist organization. Other neighboring nations — Kenya, Djibouti and Ethiopia, along with Burundi — may also face new attacks, analysts say.

Despite the threats, the army spokesman for Uganda — an overwhelmingly Christian nation — said the county would not withdraw. "Al-Shabab is the reason why we should stay in Somalia. We have to pacify Somalia," said Lt. Col. Felix Kulaigye.

In Washington, President Barack Obama spoke with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Monday to express his condolences for the loss of life in the bombings. Obama offered to provide any support or assistance needed in Uganda, said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.

Gibbs said that, while the FBI is assisting in the ongoing investigation, the U.S. believes that there is "no clearer signal of the hateful motives of terrorists than was sent yesterday."

The death toll in Sunday's twin blasts rose to 74 on Monday, Ugandan officials said. Investigators combed through the blast sites, one an outdoor screening at a rugby club and the other an Ethiopian restaurant — a nation despised by al-Shabab. Investigators found the severed head of what appeared to be a Somali suicide bomber.

The United States worries that Somalia could be a terrorist breeding ground, particularly since Osama bin Laden has declared his support for Islamic radicals there.