Posted on 05/30/2004 8:40:34 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie
THE 22 who died came from diverse backgrounds but held a common interest: a fascination with Saudi Arabia and the advantages that the Kindgom offered both financially and personally.
They also shared in common their deaths at the hands of suspected terrorists. One man was asked to stay on the job instead of retiring, to see the company through another two years. Another lived in the Kingdom most of his adult life. Another was a loyal driver who died with his boss.
On Sunday, family, friends and colleagues helped the Saudi Gazette piece together a picture of some of the expatriates who died Saturday in the terrorist attack at Apicorp facilities at Al-Khobar.
Michael Hamilton, 62, was due to retire from the Arab Petroleum Investment Corporation next year. His contract was renewed last year at the request of the management because his services were badly needed by the company. Hamilton was Apicorp s senior manager for trade and finance. He was also lead adviser for Apicorp s hydrocarbon and gas projects.
He was married to Penelope Hamilton. They have children who are professionals, including a lawyer and medical doctor. The children reside in London and Australia.
He initiated the latest investment package for Apicorp that enables the company now to extend financing to project related to power generation and electricity. Apicorp was purely a financing company for oil and petroleum related projects for the Arab countries.
Hamilton, a British citizen from Sussex, was with Apicorp for the last 15 years. He joined Apicorp after working for Abu Dhabi Bank.
He arrived from Cairo, Egypt, last Thursday after attending the Egyptian International Economic Conference where he represented Apicorp. Jesse Navalta, his secretary, said Hamilton was scheduled to go to Dubai to attend a two-day business meeting starting May 30.
He also recently came from India where he recruited project finance managers.
He was a very good boss, a disciplinarian. He considered me his son and a friend, said Navalta, Hamilton s secretary for the past eight years.
P.J. Sarath, his errand boy, said he is sad and deeply shaken by the death of his boss. He was kind-hearted and caring man, he said.
American Frank X. Floyd, about 52 years old, was the deputy general manager for marketing of Resource Science Arabia Limited (RSAL). He was a resident of Saudi Arabia for more than 18 years and resided in Al-Khobar with his wife.
Floyd was active in professional organizations, including the Project Management Institute in which he was longtime member. Last Saturday he was scheduled to have a meeting with a local consulting and engineering company in Al-Khobar.
He was a very nice, quiet person, a friend said. He is very much respected in the local business community of expatriates.
Lawrence Gregory Monis, who was in his early 40s, is the assistant general manager of Sagr Insurance Company for the past 20 years. He was a very nice, gentle person, said a colleague at the insurance company.
Monis was married. He had two children, a boy and a girl. He is from Karnataka, India.
He was preparing for the visit of his family and was very excited about their coming, said Ashraf, a colleague.
Two of the three Filipinos who died were working in the same company called Resource Science Arabia Limited (RSAL). They were Gerry Dizon and Jolly Guiray.
Dizon was RSAL s accountant. He is from Pampanga province, which is located north of Manila. He is about 40 years old, married and had a 5-year old daughter. His wife recently arrived with their daughter for a few months visit.
Jolly Quiray is the driver of Frank Floyd, the American who was killed with the two Filipinos. He is from Makati City, Metro Manila.
The other Filipino casualty, Mariano Cabasab, worked as a cook at the Oasis Hotel s Japanese restaurant. He was 28 years old and came from Cagayan Valley. He is an Ilocano and a bachelor. He shared a room with six other Filipinos: Roy Villalobos, Elvis Vergara, Ricky Maganto, Marvin de Castro, Emil Monazo and Ian Mortel. The roommates said Cabasab was caught in the crossfire when firefight ensued between the terrorists and Saudi military.
Rami, the 7-year-old Egyptian boy who died when the terrorists exploded the vehicle s gasoline tank, is the son of Samer Ghanoni. Rami was with three other children in that bus two girls and a four-year old boy.
The three of them escaped unhurt together with the bus driver. Rami was seated in the front of the bus.
Cheesey spin alert.
I hope they enjoy their ill-gotten gains six feet under.
Let's not speak ill of murdered victims of terrorists.
They did not deserve their fate.
I don't speak ill of the dead. There is something unsettling though about living in a country where the term "outsourcing" takes on a permanent meaning.
WTF is your problem?
You have a problem with voluntarily doing work in exchange for salary? Explain. This sounds pretty demented.
My problem? Is it really worth it working in a country where Westerners are hated? I wouldn't wish their fate on my worst enemy. Its like blood money; no amount of inducements could make me move there and besides I'm lucky my religion keeps me out for good.
That's for... you to decide?
Its like blood money; no amount of inducements could make me move there and besides I'm lucky my religion keeps me out for good.
This is autiobiographical info.
What's this got to do with your twisted slander against murder victims and calling their gains "ill-gotten"?
And you put your money where your mouth is by boycotting any Saudi produced gas products, unlike all us terrorist supporting drivers out there.
I'd don't have a problem with working for a salary. I do have a problem working in place where your termination from your job is getting your dead body dragged behind a terrorhoid's car. So if it sounds pretty demented, its cause the Saudis have made their country unsafe for foreign expatriates to work in, not the other way around. Its not the victims fault they got murdered.
To quote Clint Eastwood in "Unforgiven":
"We all have it comin, kid."
YOur initial comment certainly did blame the victim. Misspoke it appears.
You missed the sarcasm. We should all be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor and for the record I have nothing against the dearly departed. It just seemed to me it was bad luck they tried making a living in a part of the world where they were told in the gristliest possible terms that they weren't welcome.
The A-hole headline seems to belittle the fact that these people could have met their deaths at the hands of terrorists ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.
"I hope they enjoy their ill-gotten gains six feet under."
WTF, are you some kind of perverted subspecies whom revels in the death of others?
You called their gains 'ill-gotten'. They are not.
Fine, decent people from the West have worked in Saudi Arabia, having as much right to what they earn as you or I.
One such man was my father, who worked for some years at Aramco.
You are very wrong on this one.
"Is it really worth it working in a country where Westerners are hated?"
Next time you see a Marine or Soldier returning from the GWOT posting in Iraq or Afghanistan, why dont you ask him? ... or her?
And some helpful advice: When you've got yourself in a hole, quit digging.
To quote Clint Eastwood in "Unforgiven":
"We all have it comin, kid."
Boy, ain't that the truth!
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