First US diplomat since war began, killed in Afghanistan

25-yr old Anne Smedinghoff of Chicago was killed in the Afghanistan "nation building" initiative.  Killed by the Taliban along with four other Americans.  Killed by the same killing machine that has opened an office in Qatar. Killed by murderers who will be ultimately sitting with US delegates, sooner than we think,  and signing agreements and both sides will shake hands, laugh a  bit and coolly agree that all the killing and the mourning, all the injuries and lives lost, all the grief and  the ruined families... is now water  under the bridge.

It's noble to "build nations" in far away lands whose people hate you but it's not noble to repair and rebuild your own dying cities.  It's not noble to lift up your own citizens from the misery of  joblessness but it's noble to build other countries for other people so they can enrich themselves at the cost of your own citizenry.
That's noble ....  American style!
 
Rosemary Regina Sobol and Dawn Rhodes writing at ChicagoTribune:
....A young diplomat from River Forest  was among five Americans killed Saturday in an explosion in Afghanistan, according to her family and the U.S. State Department.
A sixth American was killed in a separate attack in eastern Afghanistan.
Anne Smedinghoff was 25, said her father Tom Smedinghoff.......

..........She was killed along with three U.S. soldiers and a civilian employee of the Defense Department, Kerry said in a statement. They were in a convoy of vehicles in Zabul province when an improvised explosive device detonated, killing them, Kerry said.
A sixth American who was a civilian working with the U.S. government was killed in a separate attack in eastern Afghanistan, according to Reuters.
Mr. Smedinghoff said Anne went into the Foreign Service right out of college. Her first post was in Venezuela and she volunteered to go to Afghanistan where she'd been since last July.
As a diplomat, she was working in the public diplomacy department for the local population. She was helping women and working for equality for women, and with schools and local businesses there. Anne simply adored her job, her father said.....