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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 19, 2005 South Medford High School graduate Sky Lloyd is serving with Marines based in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. His mother, Susan Lloyd of Ashland, has traveled to the country and plans to meet with her son. Ashland woman witnesses historic Afghan vote By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune Although keenly aware of battles raging across the country, Ashland resident Susan Lloyd said she witnessed no violence while observing Sunday’s elections in Afghanistan. "There were attacks in some of the other provinces, but we did not see that here," said Lloyd, part of a delegation from human-rights group Global Exchange that traveled last week to Kabul. Lloyd, who spoke with a Mail Tribune reporter late Sunday via cell phone, said much of the credit for a relatively quiet election day in Kabul must be given to armed security forces which kept a close eye on schools, mosques and other locations that served as polling places. Most of the locals Lloyd ran into on Sunday seemed overjoyed about being able to vote in Afghanistan’s first free elections in 30 years, she said. "I talked to a widow whose son and husband were killed in 2001 (when U.S.-led forces drove the Taliban from power), and others who had family members killed, and they all appreciate very much the fact that coalition forces are here, providing security so they can vote," Lloyd said. "It’s very inspirational to me to see people who have lost so much, going to the polls and hoping things will change." Lloyd wrote a piece that ran in Friday’s Mail Tribune, in which she stated, "The war in Afghanistan seems misguided..." But after seeing local residents’ excitement about the elections, her perception has changed. Advertisement "Before I came, I didn’t really realize that we’re really doing something good here," she said.Lloyd’s mission to Afghanistan is twofold. Besides observing Sunday’s events in Kabul, she is also hoping to meet with her son, 1st Lt. Sky Lloyd, a South Medford High School graduate who is now serving in the Marines. During the telephone interview with the Mail Tribune, Lloyd said she was sitting outside and thinking of her boy while she watched the sun rise over the hills to her east. "He’s on the other side," she said of Sky. "There has been a lot of activity there." Her son is with a group of troops in the province of Konar, about 300 miles from Kabul near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Susan Lloyd said she will remain in the country until she is able to see her son at his base in Jalalabad. "I hope to get to him when things quiet down a bit," she said. "Where he is right now, there is a lot of need for security. I just want to get to that base and get his story." Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail Ashland woman witnesses historic Afghan vote ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy online casino Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Reservationstogo Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Natto Kinase Nattokinase Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Investments & Loans Advertisement s