MISSIONS OF MERCY BY A PHOTOGRAPHER AND A WRITER

Asraa Mizyad was a 13 year old girl on Jan 25, 1999 at around 10 a.m. She had just finished her mid term examinations and was walking home when she was struck by a US fighter plane. She was right handed, and a good student - until she lost her right arm.

Alan Pogue, by chance, turned around as he was getting off a bus in Iraq in 2000, saw a young girl with a Mona Lisa smile and a war wound, snapped a picture, scribbled her name down as "Isra" and went back to the states.

The photo was later downloaded as a poster by people protesting the Iraq war on several continents.

Cole Miller, a writer from Los Angeles, contacted Alan to find out about the girl in the photo.

With very little information to go on, including the wrong spelling of her name, it seemed impossible. But Alan went to Iraq and, after numerous attempts to find her, was finally able to bring her back to the US, where surgical skill, a hospital, a prosthetic arm and physical rehabilitation were arranged. Thanks to persistence, this story has a happy ending.

Success with this one young Iraqi wounded by war, led to the inspiration to help others. 3 year old Alaa' was wounded in Anbar Province and needed state-of-the-art eye surgery.

No More Victims is now an ongoing effort. You can get involved!