An update, a plea and a word of thanks

Thank you to everyone who has expressed concern for Temuri, me, and the families of Giga Chikhladze and Sasha Klimchuk.

Anyone reading this blog knows full well that this war left tens of thousands of victims -- the killed, the injured, the homeless and the bereaved.

Giga and Sasha are two of those victims. They were killed on August 8 when an Ossetian patrol opened fire on us. Brave and competent journalists, they died doing a job that needed doing. They were professionals, carving out careers in a difficult line of work.

Giga was a father, and Sasha an only son. They promised to support the other’s family if one was killed. With both now gone, their families’ losses are compounded horribly.

Caucasus Images, Sasha’s photo agency, is taking donations via their website. Please give some aid. Every bit helps.

Temuri Kiguradze and I were luckier. He was shot in the elbow and faces a difficult and costly road to recovery. But he’s able to work and continue his excellent reporting.

I was shot in the lower leg, and was fortunate enough to receive tremendous help from friends, family and my government. (I’ll never grumble about paying taxes again.) I’m in England, studying and receiving first-rate care. If all goes well, I should be walking normally within a year.

As of August 8, I have had no involvement with the Messenger; I don’t know why its website is down.

Many thanks to those who read us over the years and during my tenure as editor, and again, to those of you who offered support and aid during this awful summer.