US observes 236th National Day William J Martin bids farewell to Pakistan
M M Alam
Thursday, July 05, 2012 - Karachi—United States’ outgoing Consul General William J. Martin had witnessed a couple of super-floods during his two-year tenure here. Speaking to this scribe at a reception held at his (old) Fatima Jinnah Road residence, Martin termed those calamities as the most momentous happenings he had experienced here.
Commenting on his Country’s reaction to those catastrophes Martin said: “The United States responded from a deep commitment to Pakistan & an unwavering belief in our humanitarian values”. He said that he had seen firsthand the strength & resilience of the Pakistani people; knew that Pakistanis had the capacity to come through this challenge & as they did, they could look to the United States for support in rebuilding their lives. While reiterating American people’s dedication William J. Martin stated that President Obama was very concerned about the plight of the Pakistani people & had directed the American Government to help Pakistan, during that crisis, by providing a wide range of assistance to the people of Pakistan in close coordination with its Government & with NGOs.
The US Consul General while mentioning about US Military’s role in helping the Pakistanis engulfed by the deluges pointed out: “As you know, the United States has unique capabilities, both civilian & military & we have made those assets available to the people of Pakistan”. Martin had also been aboard the USS Peleliu where he personally witnessed the nineteen American Marine Corp & Navy helicopters take off in support of flood relief efforts in Pakistan. Further noting that United States Army helicopters in the North of Pakistan had rescued thousands of Pakistanis & delivered hundreds of thousands of kgs. of desperately needed food & relief supplies, Martin held: “Without this dedication, without this courage of the soldiers, sailors & marines of the United States, many more Pakistanis would have died or been without food & shelter in the harshest of conditions”. Recalling his visits to the flood-affected areas William J. Martin remarked: “I saw the pain & devastation in their eyes. Men, women & children have been driven from their homes by the floods. The sick children, the frightened & helpless mothers, it touches our common humanity & makes our differences seem petty”!
Martin asserted that helping others in their time of need was a proud American tradition: “The United States has responded generously to this crisis from a deep commitment to Pakistan & to a strong belief in our humanitarian values”. United States Government had sent a wide range of assistance to the Pakistani people & the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) had coordinated their relief efforts.
“United States moved as quickly as possible to deliver assistance, while ensuring that it got to the people who truly needed that”, Martin added. Resident of California, William J. Martin holds a BA from the University of California, Berkeley & a Masters degree from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird) in Phoenix, Arizona. Prior to his assignment to Pakistan, he served as Consul General in Bogota, Colombia. Previously, Martin was Deputy Principal Officer & Consular Chief in Guangzhou, China, where he was honored for his actions during the SARS & Avian Influenza outbreaks. Martin has also served in the Philippines, Japan & twice in Indonesia.
As Acting Consul General in Jakarta, Martin was honoured with the Barbara Watson Award as consular officer of the year. After an outstanding term in Pakistan William J. Martin is going back to serve in the United States. Incidentally, equally friendly Consulate’s Public Affairs Officer Kevin Murakami & affable Press Attaché Amanda Cauldwell are also returning to USA at the end of their one-year tenures here.
Commenting on his Country’s reaction to those catastrophes Martin said: “The United States responded from a deep commitment to Pakistan & an unwavering belief in our humanitarian values”. He said that he had seen firsthand the strength & resilience of the Pakistani people; knew that Pakistanis had the capacity to come through this challenge & as they did, they could look to the United States for support in rebuilding their lives. While reiterating American people’s dedication William J. Martin stated that President Obama was very concerned about the plight of the Pakistani people & had directed the American Government to help Pakistan, during that crisis, by providing a wide range of assistance to the people of Pakistan in close coordination with its Government & with NGOs.
The US Consul General while mentioning about US Military’s role in helping the Pakistanis engulfed by the deluges pointed out: “As you know, the United States has unique capabilities, both civilian & military & we have made those assets available to the people of Pakistan”. Martin had also been aboard the USS Peleliu where he personally witnessed the nineteen American Marine Corp & Navy helicopters take off in support of flood relief efforts in Pakistan. Further noting that United States Army helicopters in the North of Pakistan had rescued thousands of Pakistanis & delivered hundreds of thousands of kgs. of desperately needed food & relief supplies, Martin held: “Without this dedication, without this courage of the soldiers, sailors & marines of the United States, many more Pakistanis would have died or been without food & shelter in the harshest of conditions”. Recalling his visits to the flood-affected areas William J. Martin remarked: “I saw the pain & devastation in their eyes. Men, women & children have been driven from their homes by the floods. The sick children, the frightened & helpless mothers, it touches our common humanity & makes our differences seem petty”!
Martin asserted that helping others in their time of need was a proud American tradition: “The United States has responded generously to this crisis from a deep commitment to Pakistan & to a strong belief in our humanitarian values”. United States Government had sent a wide range of assistance to the Pakistani people & the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) had coordinated their relief efforts.
“United States moved as quickly as possible to deliver assistance, while ensuring that it got to the people who truly needed that”, Martin added. Resident of California, William J. Martin holds a BA from the University of California, Berkeley & a Masters degree from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird) in Phoenix, Arizona. Prior to his assignment to Pakistan, he served as Consul General in Bogota, Colombia. Previously, Martin was Deputy Principal Officer & Consular Chief in Guangzhou, China, where he was honored for his actions during the SARS & Avian Influenza outbreaks. Martin has also served in the Philippines, Japan & twice in Indonesia.
As Acting Consul General in Jakarta, Martin was honoured with the Barbara Watson Award as consular officer of the year. After an outstanding term in Pakistan William J. Martin is going back to serve in the United States. Incidentally, equally friendly Consulate’s Public Affairs Officer Kevin Murakami & affable Press Attaché Amanda Cauldwell are also returning to USA at the end of their one-year tenures here.
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