Posted on 05/14/2004 7:47:55 PM PDT by Jalapeno
May 14, 2004, 6:51PM
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
An ABB Lummus Global employee from Houston, who was wounded in a terrorist attack at the company's office in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, died today in a Houston hospital, the company reported.
Thomas Washburn, the 40-year-old head manager of ABB's project in Yanbu, was shot in the throat in the May 1 attack, which killed four other employees and an ABB contractor.
He was flown out of Saudi Arabia on May 8 and his condition had deteriorated in recent days, said company spokeswoman Patti McDonald. He died Friday afternoon at Memorial Hermann Hospital, she said.
"His family would like to thank all his well-wishers, his friends, family and co-workers for the support they have provided during the past two weeks," the company stated.
Washburn was paralyzed for more than a day after the attack but regained the ability to move his upper torso and upper arms, his brother, Ken Washburn of Fredericton, New Brunswick, said a few days after the attack.
Washburn, a Canadian citizen who had lived in Houston for about four years, was promoted to project manager of a Yanbu contract overseen by the Houston office about two months before the attack, his brother said.
The Zurich-based company provides a variety of services to the oil, gas and petrochemical industry.
The attack at ABB's industrial complex in Yanbu was carried out by four gunmen whom the Saudi Interior Ministry described as Islamic militants and possible anti-royalists who opposed the Saudi monarchy. They were pursued and killed by police.
One of the employees who were killed that day also was a Houston resident, construction service manager Phil Coplen, 54.
All of ABB Lummus' non-Saudi personnel chose to leave Yanbu because of the shootings. A company spokesman said ABB is temporarily withdrawing from Yanbu, but will return to finish the project.
Washburn had said before the attack that security was tight, his brother said.
"It certainly seemed they were taking extreme precautions," Ken Washburn said. "He never expressed misgivings."
or
This is revenge because we're in Iraq!
or
No workers in Saudi Arabia for oil!
Take your pick....you'll hear at least one of these responses on the alphabet channels tomorrow.
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