Ambassadors of the United States
Ambassadors killed in office
Table:
Name

Ambassador to

Place

Country

Date of death

Killed by

Laurence Steinhardt

Canada

Ramsayville, Ontario

Canada

March 28, 1950

plane crash

John Mein

Guatemala

Guatemala City

Guatemala

August 28, 1968

attack by Rebel Armed Forces

Cleo Noel

Sudan

Khartoum

Sudan

March 2, 1973

attack by Black September Palestinian Terrorists

Rodger Davies

Cyprus

Nicosia

Cyprus

August 19, 1974

attack during Greek Cypriot demonstration

Francis Meloy

Lebanon

Beirut

Lebanon

June 16, 1976

attack by Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine

Adolph Dubs

Afghanistan

Kabul

Afghanistan

February 14, 1979

attack by Settam-e-Melli

Arnold Raphel

Pakistan

Bahawalpur

Pakistan

August 17, 1988

plane crash

Chris Stevens

Libya

Benghazi

Libya

September 11, 2012

attack by Ansar al-Sharia on a U.S. diplomatic mission

Leveraging the tabular data along with the relevant paragraphs listed at the end.

Answer the following question: Over how many years old is the city where the ambassador was killed in a rescue attempt ? Provide just your answer in a JSON object {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}.

Laurence Adolph Steinhardt ( October 6 , 1892 - March 28 , 1950 ) was a United States diplomat . He served as the U.S. Minister to Sweden and U.S . Ambassador to Peru , the USSR , Turkey , Czechoslovakia , and Canada . He was the first United States Ambassador to be killed in office .
This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to Canada . The ambassador is the head of the Embassy of the United States in Ottawa . Prior to 1943 , the head of the U.S. diplomatic mission to Canada bore the title of Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary . The U.S. mission to Canada was upgraded from legation to embassy status in June 1943 , and Ray Atherton was the first chief of mission to hold ambassadorial rank .
Ramsayville is a rural community on Ramsay Creek in Gloucester-Southgate Ward in Ottawa , Ontario , Canada . Prior to 2001 , the community was located within the City of Gloucester . The immediate area around Ramsayville ( North by the eastern prolongation of Hunt Club Road and Highway 417 , west by Hawthorne Road , south by Leitrim Road and east by Anderson Road ) has a population of about 90 ( 2011 Census ) The community was also a site used for High Frequency Direction Finding experiments by the Royal Canadian Navy . The Navy installation was located on Ramsayville Road ( then known as Base Line Road ) about five miles from Gloucester near the intersection of Leitrim Road . It was not that far away from CFS Leitrim . Although not a Naval Radio Station , the installation 's experiments that were conducted at its height were likely classified . The station was still known to be in operation as of 1965 . Ramsayville was the site of an aircraft crash in 1950 that claimed the life of Laurence Steinhardt , then US Ambassador to Canada .
Ontario is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada . Located in Central Canada , it is Canada 's most populous province , with 38.3 percent of the country 's population , and is the second-largest province in total area . Ontario is fourth-largest jurisdiction in total area when the territories of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are included . It is home to the nation 's capital city , Ottawa , and the nation 's most populous city , Toronto , which is also Ontario 's provincial capital . Ontario is bordered by the province of Manitoba to the west , Hudson Bay and James Bay to the north , and Quebec to the east and northeast , and to the south by the U.S. states of ( from west to east ) Minnesota , Michigan , Ohio , Pennsylvania , and New York . Almost all of Ontario 's 2,700 km ( 1,678 mi ) border with the United States follows inland waterways : from the westerly Lake of the Woods , eastward along the major rivers and lakes of the Great Lakes/Saint Lawrence River drainage system . These include Rainy River , Pigeon River , Lake Superior , St. Marys River , Lake Huron , St. Clair River , Lake St. Clair , Detroit River , Lake Erie , Niagara River , Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River from Kingston , Ontario , to the Quebec boundary just east of Cornwall , Ontario . There is only about 1 km ( 0.6 mi ) of land border , made up of portages including Height of Land Portage on the Minnesota border . Ontario is sometimes conceptually divided into two regions , Northern Ontario and Southern Ontario . The great majority of Ontario 's population and arable land is in the south . In contrast , the larger , northern part of Ontario is sparsely populated with cold winters and heavy forestation .
Canada is a country in the northern part of North America . Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean , covering 9.98 million square kilometres ( 3.85 million square miles ) , making it the world 's second-largest country by total area . Its southern border with the United States , stretching some 8,891 kilometres ( 5,525 mi ) , is the world 's longest bi-national land border . Canada 's capital is Ottawa , and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto , Montreal , and Vancouver . As a whole , Canada is sparsely populated , with most of its land area dominated by forest and tundra . Its population is highly urbanized , with over 80 percent of its inhabitants concentrated in large and medium-sized cities , and 70 percent residing within 100 kilometres ( 62 mi ) of the southern border . Canada 's climate varies widely across its vast area , ranging from Arctic climate in the north to hot summers in the southern regions , with four distinct seasons . Various indigenous peoples inhabited what is now Canada for thousands of years before European colonization . Beginning in the 16th century , British and French expeditions explored and later settled along the Atlantic coast . As a consequence of various armed conflicts , France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 . In 1867 , with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation , Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces . This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom .
This is a List of accidents and incidents involving Douglas DC-3 A variants that have taken place in the year 1950 , including aircraft based on the DC-3 airframe such as the Douglas C-47 Skytrain and Lisunov Li-2 . Military accidents are included ; and hijackings and incidents of terrorism are covered , although acts of war are outside the scope of this list .
John Gordon Mein ( September 10 , 1913 - August 28 , 1968 ) was the first United States ambassador to be assassinated while serving in office . Mein served as the United States Ambassador to Guatemala during the Guatemalan Civil War . He was shot by rebels belonging to the Rebel Armed Forces ( FAR ) one block from the U.S. consulate on Avenida Reforma in Guatemala City on August 28 , 1968 . U.S. officials believed that FAR intended to kidnap him in order to negotiate an exchange , but instead they shot him when he attempted to escape . The rebels had killed two U.S. military aides prior to the assassination of Mein . He is buried at Rock Creek Cemetery , in Washington , D.C .
The following is a list of Ambassadors of the United States , or other chiefs of mission , to Guatemala . The title given by the United States State Department to this position is currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary .
Guatemala City ( Spanish : Ciudad de Guatemala ) , locally known as Guatemala or Guate , officially Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción ( New Guatemala of the Assumption ) , is the capital and largest city of Guatemala , and the most populous urban area in Central America . The city is located in the south-central part of the country , nestled in a mountain valley called Valle de la Ermita ( English : Hermitage Valley ) . It is estimated that its population is about 1 million . Guatemala City is also the capital of the Municipality of Guatemala and of the Guatemala Department . Guatemala City is the site of the Mayan city of Kaminaljuyu , founded around 1500 BC . [ citation needed ] Following the Spanish conquest , a new town was established , and in 1776 it was made capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala . In 1821 , Guatemala City was the scene of the declaration of independence of Central America from Spain , after which it became the capital of the newly established United Provinces of Central America ( later the Federal Republic of Central America ) . [ citation needed ] In 1847 , Guatemala declared itself an independent republic , with Guatemala City as its capital . The city was almost completely destroyed by the 1917-18 earthquakes . Reconstructions following the earthquakes have resulted in a more modern architectural landscape . [ citation needed ] Today , Guatemala City is the political , cultural , and economic center of Guatemala . It is served by La Aurora International Airport .
Guatemala ( /ˌɡwɑːtəˈmɑːlə/ ( listen ) GWAH-tə-MAH-lə ; Spanish : [ gwateˈmala ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Republic of Guatemala ( Spanish : República de Guatemala ) , is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west , Belize and the Caribbean to the northeast , Honduras to the east , El Salvador to the southeast and the Pacific Ocean to the south . With an estimated population of around 17.2 million , it is the most populous country in Central America . Guatemala is a representative democracy ; its capital and largest city is Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción , also known as Guatemala City . The territory of modern Guatemala once formed the core of the Maya civilization , which extended across Mesoamerica . Most of the country was conquered by the Spanish in the 16th century , becoming part of the viceroyalty of New Spain . Guatemala attained independence in 1821 as part of the Federal Republic of Central America , which dissolved by 1841 . From the mid- to late-19th century , Guatemala experienced chronic instability and civil strife . Beginning in the early 20th century , it was ruled by a series of dictators backed by the United Fruit Company and the United States government . In 1944 , the authoritarian leader Jorge Ubico was overthrown by a pro-democratic military coup , initiating a decade-long revolution that led to sweeping social and economic reforms . A U.S.-backed military coup in 1954 ended the revolution and installed a dictatorship . From 1960 to 1996 , Guatemala endured a bloody civil war fought between the US-backed government and leftist rebels , including genocidal massacres of the Maya population perpetrated by the military . Since a United Nations-negotiated peace accord , Guatemala has witnessed both economic growth and successful democratic elections , though it continues to struggle with high rates of poverty , crime , drug trade , and instability .
The Rebel Armed Forces ( Spanish : Fuerzas Armadas Rebeldes , FAR ) was a Guatemalan guerrilla organization established in 1961 and lasting until the peace agreements in 1996 . In the late 1960s , the Guatemalan government began a United States-backed counter-insurgency campaign that killed between 2,800 and 8000 FAR supporters in eastern Guatemala . The survivors of this campaign , which devastated the FAR , regrouped in Mexico City in the 1970s , and founded the Guerrilla Army of the Poor ( EGP ) , which succeeded in mobilizing tremendous popular support over the next few years . FAR is most significantly known for having killed the U.S. ambassador to Guatemala , John Gordon Mein , in 1968 . Also killed that year were two U.S. military advisers , Colonel John Webber and Ernest Munro , although they might have been killed at the command of PGT leader Leonardo Castillo Johnson . [ citation needed ] In 1970 , the group briefly kidnapped Guatemala 's foreign minister Alberto Fuentes Mohr , but freed him in exchange for the release of a student leader . Karl von Spreti , German ambassador to Guatemala , was kidnapped and murdered by the FAR as well in that year . Further actions that year included the kidnapping of U.S. labor attaché Sean Holly , he was freed for the release of FAR prisoners . [ citation needed ]
Cleo Allen Noel Jr. ( August 6 , 1918 - March 2 , 1973 ) was a United States ambassador to Sudan who was murdered by the Black September Palestinian terrorist organization in the 1973 attack on the Saudi embassy in Khartoum .
The following is a list of United States Ambassadors to Sudan . The first chief of mission sent by the United States was Arthur E. Beach , who presented his credentials in March 1956 . From 1967 to 1972 the embassy was closed , and a U.S. Interest Section was opened in the Netherlands Embassy . In 1973 Ambassador Cleo A. Noel , Jr. was taken hostage and killed by the Black September Organization during the attack on the Saudi embassy in Khartoum . The embassy was again closed in 1996 , though reopened in 2002 , since which time the United States has posted several chargés d'affaires ad interim to the country .
Khartoum or Khartum ( /kɑːrˈtuːm/ kar-TOOM ; Arabic : ٱلْخُرْطُوم , romanized : Al-Khurṭūm ) is the capital of Sudan . With a population of 5,274,321 , its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan , the sixth-largest in Africa , and the fourth-largest in the Arab world . Khartoum is located at the confluence of the White Nile , flowing north from Lake Victoria , and the Blue Nile , flowing west from Ethiopia . The location where the two Niles meet is known as al-Mogran or al-Muqran ( المقرن ; English : The Confluence ) . From there , the Nile continues to flow north towards Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea . Divided by these two parts of the Nile , Khartoum is a tripartite metropolis with an estimated overall population of over five million people , consisting of Khartoum proper , and linked by bridges to Khartoum North ( الخرطوم بحري al-Kharṭūm Baḥrī ) and Omdurman ( أم درمان Umm Durmān ) to the west .
Sudan ( /suːˈdɑːn/ ; Arabic : السودان as-Sūdān ) , officially the Republic of the Sudan ( Arabic : جمهورية السودان Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān ) , is a country in northeastern Africa . It is bordered by Egypt to the north , Libya to the northwest , Chad to the west , the Central African Republic to the southwest , South Sudan to the south , Ethiopia to the southeast , Eritrea to the east , and the Red Sea to the northeast . Sudan has a population of 43 million ( 2018 estimate ) and occupies 1,886,068 square kilometres ( 728,215 square miles ) , making it Africa 's third-largest country and also the third-largest in the Arab world . Before South Sudan 's secession from Sudan on 9 July 2011 , the united Sudan was the largest country in Africa and the Arab world by area . Sudan 's predominant religion is Islam , and its official languages are Arabic and English . The capital is Khartoum , located at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile . Since 2011 , Sudan has been the scene of an ongoing military conflict in its southern states . Sudan 's history goes back to the Pharaonic period , witnessing the kingdom of Kerma ( c. 2500 BC-1500 BC ) , the subsequent rule of the Egyptian New Kingdom ( c. 1500 BC-1070 BC ) and the rise of the kingdom of Kush ( c. 785 BC-350 AD ) , which would in turn control Egypt itself for nearly a century . After the fall of Kush , the Nubians formed the three Christian kingdoms of Nobatia , Makuria and Alodia , with the latter two lasting until around 1500 . Between the 14th and 15th centuries much of Sudan was settled by Arab nomads . From the 16th-19th centuries , central and eastern Sudan were dominated by the Funj sultanate , while Darfur ruled the west and the Ottomans the far north . This period saw extensive Islamisation and Arabisation .
An attack on the Saudi embassy in Khartoum took place on 1 March 1973 . It was carried out by the Black September Organization , which took ten diplomats hostage . After President Richard Nixon stated that he refused to negotiate with terrorists , and insisted that no concessions would be made , the three Western hostages were killed .
The Black September Organization ( BSO ) ( Arabic : منظمة أيلول الأسود , Munaẓẓamat Aylūl al-aswad ) was a Palestinian militant organization founded in 1970 . It was responsible for the assassination of the Jordanian Prime Minister Wasfi Tal , and the Munich massacre , in which eleven Israeli athletes and officials were kidnapped and killed , as well as a West German policeman losing his life , during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich , their most publicized event . These events led to the creation or specialization of permanent counter-terrorism forces in many European countries .
Rodger Paul Davies ( May 7 , 1921 - August 19 , 1974 ) was an American diplomat born in Berkeley , California , who was killed in the line of duty on August 19 , 1974 , in Nicosia , Cyprus , allegedly killed by Greek Cypriot gunmen during an anti-American demonstration outside the U.S. Embassy in Nicosia , sparked by the U.S 's perceived failure to stop the Turkish invasion of Cyprus . He studied Economics at the University of California , Berkeley , before joining the U.S. Army in World War II . He undertook intensive language training in Arabic under Philip Khuri Hitti at Princeton University as part of the Army Specialized Training Program , promoted to the rank of Lieutenant , and then was deployed to the Middle East . He joined the state department after WWII .
This is a list of Ambassadors of the United States to Cyprus . Until 1960 Cyprus had been a colony of the British Empire . On August 16 , 1960 , Cyprus gained its independence from the United Kingdom . The United States recognized the new nation and established an embassy in Nicosia on August 16 , 1960 , with L. Douglas Heck as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim . Diplomatic relations between the United States and Cyprus have been continuous since that time . One ambassador , Rodger P. Davies , was assassinated by a sniper while at his post in 1974 . The United States does not recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , proclaimed November 15 , 1983 , by Turkey . The U.S. Embassy in Cyprus is located in Nicosia .
Nicosia ( /ˌnɪkəˈsiːə/ NIK-ə-SEE-ə ; Greek : Λευκωσία , romanized : Lefkosía [ lefkoˈsi.a ] ; Turkish : Lefkoşa [ lefˈkoʃa ] ) is the largest city , capital , and seat of government of Cyprus . It is located near the centre of the Mesaoria plain , on the banks of the River Pedieos . Nicosia is the southeasternmost of all EU member states ' capitals . It has been continuously inhabited for over 4,500 years and has been the capital of Cyprus since the 10th century . The Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities of Nicosia segregated into the south and north of the city respectively in early 1964 , following the fighting of the Cyprus crisis of 1963-64 that broke out in the city . This separation became a militarised border between the Republic of Cyprus and Northern Cyprus after Turkey invaded the island of Cyprus in 1974 , occupying the north of the island , including northern Nicosia . Today North Nicosia is the capital of Northern Cyprus , a state recognized only by Turkey , that is considered to be occupied Cypriot territory by the international community . Apart from its legislative and administrative functions , Nicosia has established itself as the island 's financial capital and its main international business centre . In 2018 , Nicosia was the 32nd richest city in the world in relative purchasing power .
Cyprus ( /ˈsaɪprəs/ ( listen ) ; Greek : Κύπρος [ ˈcipros ] ; Turkish : Kıbrıs [ ˈkɯbɾɯs ] ) , officially the Republic of Cyprus ( Greek : Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία , lit . Cypriot Republic ; Turkish : Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti , lit . Republic of Cyprus ) , is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean and the third-largest and third-most populous island in the Mediterranean , located south of Turkey , west of Syria and Lebanon , north of Israel , the Gaza Strip ( Palestinian region ) and Egypt , and southeast of Greece . The earliest known human activity on the island dates to around the 10th millennium BC . Archaeological remains from this period include the well-preserved Neolithic village of Khirokitia , and Cyprus is home to some of the oldest water wells in the world . Cyprus was settled by Mycenaean Greeks in two waves in the 2nd millennium BC . As a strategic location in the Middle East , it was subsequently occupied by several major powers , including the empires of the Assyrians , Egyptians and Persians , from whom the island was seized in 333 BC by Alexander the Great . Subsequent rule by Ptolemaic Egypt , the Classical and Eastern Roman Empire , Arab caliphates for a short period , the French Lusignan dynasty and the Venetians , was followed by over three centuries of Ottoman rule between 1571 and 1878 ( de jure until 1914 ) . Cyprus was placed under the UK 's administration based on the Cyprus Convention in 1878 and was formally annexed by the UK in 1914 . While Turkish Cypriots made up 18% of the population , the partition of Cyprus and creation of a Turkish state in the north became a policy of Turkish Cypriot leaders and Turkey in the 1950s . Turkish leaders for a period advocated the annexation of Cyprus to Turkey as Cyprus was considered an extension of Anatolia by them ; while , since the 19th century , the majority Greek Cypriot population and its Orthodox church had been pursuing union with Greece , which became a Greek national policy in the 1950s . Following nationalist violence in the 1950s , Cyprus was granted independence in 1960 .
Francis Edward Meloy Jr. ( March 28 , 1917 - June 16 , 1976 ) was a U.S. diplomat murdered in Beirut , Lebanon in 1976 by Palestinian terrorists of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine .
This is a list of ambassadors of the United States and other Heads of Mission to Lebanon .
Beirut ( /beɪˈruːt/ bay-ROOT ; Arabic : بيروت , romanized : Bayrūt ; French : Beyrouth ) is the capital and largest city of Lebanon . No recent population census has been conducted , but 2007 estimates ranged from slightly more than 1 million to 2.2 million as part of Greater Beirut , which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region and the fifteenth-largest in the Arab world . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon 's Mediterranean coast , Beirut is an important regional seaport . It is one of the oldest cities in the world , having been inhabited by Amer for more than 5,000 years . The first historical mention of Beirut is found in the Amarna letters from the New Kingdom of Egypt , which date to the 15th century BC . Beirut is Lebanon 's seat of government and plays a central role in the Lebanese economy , with most banks and corporations based in its Central District , Badaro , Rue Verdun , Hamra , Ryad el Soloh street , and Achrafieh . Following the destructive Lebanese Civil War , Beirut 's cultural landscape underwent major reconstruction . Identified and graded for accountancy , advertising , banking , finance and law , Beirut is ranked as a Beta World City by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network .
Lebanon ( /ˈlɛbənɒn/ ( listen ) ; Arabic : لبنان , romanized : Lubnān , Lebanese Arabic pronunciation : [ lɪbˈneːn ] ) , officially known as the Lebanese Republic [ nb 3 ] ( Arabic : الجمهورية اللبنانية , romanized : al-Jumhūrīyah al-Lubnānīyah , Lebanese Arabic pronunciation : [ elˈʒʊmhuːrɪjje lˈlɪbneːnɪjje ] ; French : République libanaise ) , is a country in Western Asia . It is bordered by Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south , while Cyprus is west across the Mediterranean Sea . Lebanon 's location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland facilitated its rich history and shaped a cultural identity of religious and ethnic diversity . At just 10,452 km2 ( 4,036 mi2 ) , it is the smallest recognized sovereign state on the mainland Asian continent . [ nb 4 ] The earliest evidence of civilization in Lebanon dates back more than seven thousand years , predating recorded history . Lebanon was the home of the Canaanites/Phoenicians and their kingdoms , a maritime culture that flourished for almost three thousand years ( c. 3200-539 BC ) . In 64 BC , the region came under the rule of the Roman Empire , and eventually became one of the Empire 's leading centers of Christianity . In the Mount Lebanon range a monastic tradition known as the Maronite Church was established . As the Arab Muslims conquered the region , the Maronites held onto their religion and identity . However , a new religious group , the Druze , established themselves in Mount Lebanon as well , generating a religious divide that has lasted for centuries . During the Crusades , the Maronites re-established contact with the Roman Catholic Church and asserted their communion with Rome . The ties they established with the Latins have influenced the region into the modern era .
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine ( PFLP ) ( Arabic : الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين , al-Jabhah al-Sha ` biyyah li-Taḥrīr Filasṭīn ) is a secular Palestinian Marxist-Leninist and revolutionary socialist organization founded in 1967 by George Habash . It has consistently been the second-largest of the groups forming the Palestine Liberation Organization ( the PLO , founded in 1964 ) , the largest being Fatah ( founded in 1959 ) . As of 2015 [ update ] the PFLP boycotts participation in the PLO Executive Committee and the Palestinian National Council . Ahmad Sa'adat has served as Secretary-General of the PFLP since 2001 . He was sentenced in December 2006 to 30 years in an Israeli prison . The PFLP currently considers both the Fatah-led government in the West Bank and the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip illegal because elections to the Palestinian National Authority have not been held since 2006 . PFLP has been designated a terrorist organisation by the United States , Japan , Canada , Australia and the European Union . However , in January 2020 , it was reported that the PFLP receives financial support of millions of dollars funneled through Palestinian NGOs in Western nations , including the Netherlands , Switzerland , Spain , Germany , France , Ireland , Norway , and Belgium , as well as the US , Canada and Japan , UN-OCHA and UNICEF . These NGOs include Al-Haq , Womens Affairs Technical Committee ( WATC ) , Union of Agricultural Work Committees ( UAWC ) and the Alternative Information Centre . From its foundation the PFLP sought both superpower and regional patrons , early on developing ties with the People 's Republic of China , the Soviet Union and , at various times , with regional powers such as Syria , South Yemen , Libya and Iraq , as well as with left-wing groups around the world , including the PKK , FARC and the Japanese Red Army . [ citation needed ] When that support diminished or stopped , in the late 1980s and 1990s , the PFLP sought new allies and developed contacts with Islamist groups linked to Iran , despite the PFLP 's strong adherence to secularism and anti-clericalism . The relationship between the PFLP and the Islamic Republic of Iran has fluctuated - it strengthened as a result of Hamas moving away from Iran due to differing positions on the Syrian Civil War .
Adolph Spike Dubs ( August 4 , 1920 - February 14 , 1979 ) was the United States Ambassador to Afghanistan from May 13 , 1978 , until his death in 1979 . He was killed during a rescue attempt after his kidnapping .
The United States Ambassador to Afghanistan is the official representative of the President of the United States to the head of state of Afghanistan . The United States recognized Afghanistan , then under the rule of King Amānullāh , on July 26 , 1921 . Diplomatic relations were established in 1935 . The first ambassador appointed to Afghanistan was William H. Hornibrook , who was concurrently commissioned to Persia , as Iran was known then , and resident in Tehran . Until 1942 , the U.S . Ambassador to Persia/Iran was also the Ambassador to Afghanistan . The U.S. Legation at Kabul was established on June 6 , 1942 , with Charles W. Thayer as Chargé dAffaires ad interim . Cornelius Van Hemert Engert presented his credentials to the government of Afghanistan on July 2 , 1942 , as the first envoy solely accredited to Afghanistan . Ambassador Adolph Dubs was assassinated in a botched kidnapping attempt in 1979 . For the next ten years no ambassador was appointed ; only a series of chargés daffaires represented the U.S. in Kabul . The embassy at Kabul was closed on January 30 , 1989 , due to concerns that the new regime would not be able to maintain security and protect diplomats following the final departure of Soviet forces from the country . Following the overthrow of the Taliban government , the U.S. Liaison Office in Kabul opened on December 17 , 2001 , with Ambassador James Dobbins serving as Director .
Kabul ( Persian : کابل , romanized : Kābol , Pashto : کابل , romanized : Kābəl ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan , located in the eastern section of the country . It is also a municipality , forming part of the greater Kabul Province , and divided into 22 districts . According to estimates in 2019 , the population of Kabul is 4.114 million , which includes all the major ethnic groups of Afghanistan . Afghanistan 's only city with a population of over 1 million , Kabul serves as its political , cultural and economical center . Rapid urbanization had made Kabul the world 's 75th largest city . Kabul is located high up in a narrow valley between the Hindu Kush mountains , with an elevation of 1,790 metres ( 5,873 ft ) making it one of the highest capitals in the world . The city is said to be over 3,500 years old , mentioned since at least the time of the Achaemenid Empire . Located at crossroads in Asia - roughly halfway between Istanbul in the west and Hanoi in the east - it is in a strategic location along the trade routes of South and Central Asia , and a key location of the ancient Silk Road . It has been part of the Achaemenids followed by the Seleucids , Mauryans , Kushans , Kabul Shahis , Saffarids , Samanids , Ghaznavids , Ghurids , Khwarazmians , Qarlughids , Khaljis , Timurids , Mughals , and Hotaks , until finally becoming part of the Durrani Empire ( also known as the Afghan Empire ) in 1747 . Kabul became the capital of Afghanistan in 1776 , during the reign of Timur Shah Durrani , the son of Ahmad Shah Durrani . In the early 19th century , the British occupied the city , but after establishing foreign relations , they were compelled to withdraw all forces from Afghanistan . The city was occupied by the Soviets in 1979 but they too abandoned it after the 1988 Geneva Accords were signed .
Afghanistan ( /æfˈɡænɪstæn , æfˈɡɑːnɪstɑːn/ ( listen ) ; Pashto/Dari : افغانستان , Pashto : Afġānistān [ avɣɒnisˈtɒn , ab- ] , [ a ] Dari : Afġānestān [ avɣɒnesˈtɒn ] ) , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan , is a landlocked country in Asia . Afghanistan is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south ; [ b ] Iran to the west ; Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan , and Tajikistan to the north ; and China to the northeast . Occupying 652,000 square kilometers ( 252,000 sq mi ) , it is a mountainous country with plains in the north and southwest . Kabul is the capital and largest city . The population is 32 million , mostly composed of ethnic Pashtuns , Tajiks , Hazaras and Uzbeks . Human habitation in Afghanistan dates back to the Middle Paleolithic Era , and the country 's strategic location along the Silk Road connected it to the cultures of the Middle East and other parts of Asia . The land has historically been home to various peoples and has witnessed numerous military campaigns , including those by Alexander the Great , Mauryas , Muslim Arabs , Mongols , British , Soviets , and by the United States with allied countries . The land also served as the source from which the Kushans , Hephthalites , Samanids , Saffarids , Ghaznavids , Ghorids , Khaljis , Mughals , Hotaks , Durranis , and others have risen to form major empires . The political history of the modern state of Afghanistan began with the Hotak and Durrani dynasties in the 18th century . In the late 19th century , Afghanistan became a buffer state in the Great Game between British India and the Russian Empire . Its border with British India , the Durand Line , was formed in 1893 but it is not recognized by the Afghan government and it has led to strained relations with Pakistan since the latter 's independence in 1947 . Following the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919 the country was free of foreign influence , eventually becoming a monarchy under Amanullah Khan , until almost 50 years later when Zahir Shah was overthrown and a republic was established .
Settam-e-Melli ( Dari Persian for National Oppression ) , variously romanized as Setam-i-Milli , Setami Milli , Setam-i-Meli , Setam-e-Meli , Setami-i-Milli , and Setame Melli , was a political movement in Afghanistan , led by Tahir Badakhshi . The organization was affiliated with the Non-Aligned Movement , and was opposed by both the Afghan monarchy and by the Soviet-aligned People 's Democratic Party of Afghanistan . Its followers were mostly Persian speakers . Most of its members were non-Pashtuns - Tajik , Uzbek , and other minorities - and it has been variously described as an anti-Pashtun separatist group and as a Tajik and Uzbek separatist group . Information on Settam-e-Melli is vague and contradictory , but it appears to have been an anti-Pashtun leftist mutation . The group was founded in 1968 by Tahir Badakhshi , a Tajik who formerly had been a member of the Central Committee of the People 's Democratic Party of Afghanistan and split with the party . The group emphasized militant class struggle and mass mobilization of peasants and recruited Tajiks , Uzbeks , and other minorities from Kabul and the northeastern provinces . Responsibility for the kidnapping and murder of the American ambassador to Afghanistan , Adolph Dubs , on February 14 , 1979 at the Kabul Hotel is sometimes attributed to Settam-e-Melli , but the true identity and aims of the militants who kidnapped Dubs is uncertain , and the circumstances are still clouded . Some consider the allegation that Settam-e-Melli was responsible to be dubious , pointing to a former Kabul policeman who has claimed that at least one kidnapper was part of the Parcham faction of the People 's Democratic Party of Afghanistan . During the Taraki-Amin period , the Setamis withdrew to the Afghan countryside , though as an urban movement this removed them from their powerbase . During the 1979-1986 rule of communist president Babrak Karmal , the Setamis became closer with the government , partially as Karmal had been a personal friend of Badakhshi ( who had been killed in 1979 ) . A Setami leader , Bashir Baghlani , went over to the government in 1983 , and was made Minister of Justice .
Arnold Lewis Raphel ( March 16 , 1943 - August 17 , 1988 ) was the 18th United States Ambassador to Pakistan .
The U.S. embassy in Karachi was established August 15 , 1947 with Edward W. Holmes as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim , pending the appointment of an ambassador . The first ambassador , Paul H. Alling , was appointed on September 20 , 1947 . Anne W. Patterson was nominated as United States Ambassador to Pakistan in May 2007 , replacing Ryan C. Crocker who was appointed United States Ambassador to Iraq after completing three years of service in Pakistan . In 2010 , her post was succeeded by Cameron Munter . The American ambassador is based in the U.S. Embassy , Islamabad .
Bahawalpur ( بہاولپور ) , is a city located in the Punjab province of Pakistan . Bahawalpur is the 11th largest city in Pakistan with an estimated population of 798,509 . Founded in 1748 , Bahawalpur was the capital of the former princely state of Bahawalpur , ruled by the Abbasi family of Nawabs until 1955 . The Nawabs left a rich architectural legacy , and Bahawalpur is now known for its monuments dating from that period . The city also lies at the edge of the Cholistan Desert , and serves as the gateway to the nearby Lal Suhanra National Park .
Pakistan , [ b ] officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan , [ c ] is a country in South Asia . It is the world 's sixth-most populous country with a population exceeding 207.8 million . In area , it is the 33rd-largest country , spanning 881,913 square kilometres ( 340,509 square miles ) . Pakistan has a 1,046-kilometre ( 650-mile ) coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by India to the east , Afghanistan to the west , Iran to the southwest , and China in the northeast . It is separated narrowly from Tajikistan by Afghanistan 's Wakhan Corridor in the northwest , and also shares a maritime border with Oman . The territory that now constitutes Pakistan was the site of several ancient cultures and intertwined with the history of the broader Indian subcontinent . The ancient history involves the Neolithic site of Mehrgarh and the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilisation , and was later home to kingdoms ruled by people of different faiths and cultures , including Hindus , Indo-Greeks , Muslims , Turco-Mongols , Afghans and Sikhs . The area has been ruled by numerous empires and dynasties , including the Persian Achaemenid Empire , Alexander III of Macedon , the Seleucid Empire , the Indian Maurya Empire , the Gupta Empire , the Arab Umayyad Caliphate , the Delhi Sultanate , the Mongol Empire , the Mughal Empire , the Afghan Durrani Empire , the Sikh Empire ( partially ) and , most recently , the British Indian Empire . Pakistan is the only country to have been created in the name of Islam . It is an ethnically and linguistically diverse country , with similarly diverse geography and wildlife . Initially a dominion , Pakistan adopted a constitution in 1956 , becoming an Islamic republic . An ethnic civil war and Indian military intervention in 1971 resulted in the secession of East Pakistan as the new country of Bangladesh .
The state funeral of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq was held on 19 August 1988 in the Shah Faisal Mosque located in Islamabad , Pakistan . General Zia-ul-Haq , Chief of Army Staff ( COAS ) who was also serving as the President of Pakistan , had died in a C-130 Hercules plane , call sign : Pak-1 , crashed near the Sutlej river on 17 August 1988 . Several conspiracy theories exists regarding this incident , as other high-profile civilian and military personnel also died in the crash including the Chairman Joint chiefs General Akhtar Abdur Rehman and the United States Ambassador to Pakistan , Arnold Lewis Raphel , and the military attaché , Brigadier General Herbert M. Wassom . The official announcement of Zia 's death was announced by Ghulam Ishaq Khan , then-Chairman Senate acting as the Acting President , simultaneously via radio and television transmission on 17 August 1988 . The Government of Pakistan announced to hold the state funeral given the Zia-ul-Haq who was buried with military honors in a specially crafted white marble tomb , adjacent to Shah Faisal Mosque in Islamabad . The funeral was attended by 30 heads of state , including the presidents of Bangladesh , China , Egypt , Iran , India , Turkey , and the United Arab Emirates as well as the Aga Khan IV and representatives of the crowned heads of Saudi Arabia and Jordan . Key American politicians , U.S. Embassy staff in Islamabad , key personnel of the Pakistan Armed Forces , and chiefs of staff of the Army , Navy , Air Force also attended the funeral .
John Christopher Stevens ( April 18 , 1960 - September 11 , 2012 ) was an American career diplomat and lawyer who served as the U.S . Ambassador to Libya from May 22 , 2012 to September 11 , 2012 . Stevens was killed when the U.S. Special Mission in Benghazi , Libya , was attacked by members of Ansar al-Sharia on September 11-12 , 2012 . Stevens was the eighth U.S . Ambassador to be killed while in office .
The United States Ambassador to Libya is the official representative of the President of the United States to the head of state of Libya .
Benghazi ( /bɛnˈɡɑːzi/ ) [ note 1 ] is a city in Libya . Located on the Gulf of Sidra in the Mediterranean , Benghazi is a major seaport and the second-most populous city in the country , as well as the largest city in Cyrenaica , with an estimated population of 631,555 in 2011 . A Greek colony named Euesperides had existed in the area from around 525 BC . In the 3rd century BC , it was relocated and refounded as the Ptolemaic city of Berenice . Berenice prospered under the Romans , and after the 3rd century AD it superseded Cyrene and Barca as the center of Cyrenaica . The city went into decline during the Byzantine period and had already been reduced to a small town before its conquest by the Arabs . In 1911 , Italy captured Benghazi and the rest of Tripolitania from the Ottomans . Under Italian rule , Benghazi witnessed a period of extensive development and modernization , particularly in the second half of the 1930s . The city changed hands several times during World War II and was heavily damaged in the process . After the war Benghazi was rebuilt and became the co-capital of the newly independent Kingdom of Libya . Following the 1969 coup d'état by Muammar Gaddafi , Benghazi lost its capital status and all government offices relocated to Tripoli . On 15 February 2011 , an uprising against the government of Muammar Gaddafi occurred in the city .
Libya ( /ˈlɪbiə/ ( listen ) ; Arabic : ليبيا , romanized : Lībiyā ) , officially the State of Libya ( Arabic : دولة ليبيا , romanized : Dawlat Lībiyā ) , [ dubious - discuss ] is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa , bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north , Egypt to the east , Sudan to the southeast , Chad to the south , Niger to the southwest , Algeria to the west , and Tunisia to the northwest . The sovereign state is made of three historical regions : Tripolitania , Fezzan and Cyrenaica . With an area of almost 1.8 million square kilometres ( 700,000 sq mi ) , Libya is the fourth largest country in Africa , and is the 16th largest country in the world . Libya has the 10th-largest proven oil reserves of any country in the world . The largest city and capital , Tripoli , is located in western Libya and contains over one million of Libya 's six million people . The second-largest city is Benghazi , which is located in eastern Libya . The Latin name Libya is based on the name the region west of the Nile ( Λιβύη ) used by the Ancient Greeks and Romans for all of North Africa , and was first adopted during the Italian colonization since 1911 . Libya has been inhabited by Berbers since the late Bronze Age as descendants from Iberomaurusian and Capsian cultures . The Phoenicians established trading posts in western Libya , and ancient Greek colonists established city-states in eastern Libya . Libya was variously ruled by Carthaginians , Persians , Egyptians and Greeks before becoming a part of the Roman Empire . Libya was an early centre of Christianity . After the fall of the Western Roman Empire , the area of Libya was mostly occupied by the Vandals until the 7th century , when invasions brought Islam to the region .
The 2012 Benghazi attack was a coordinated attack against two United States government facilities in Benghazi , Libya by members of the Islamic militant group Ansar al-Sharia . At 9:40 p.m. , September 11 , members of Ansar al-Sharia attacked the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi resulting in the deaths of U.S . Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens and U.S. Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith . Stevens was the first U.S. ambassador killed in the line of duty since 1979 . At around 4:00 a.m. on September 12 , the group launched a mortar attack against a CIA annex approximately one-mile ( 1.6 km ) away , killing CIA contractors Tyrone S. Woods and Glen Doherty and wounding ten others . Initial analysis by the CIA , repeated by top government officials , indicated that the attack spontaneously arose from a protest . Subsequent investigations showed that the attack was premeditated - although rioters and looters not originally part of the group may have joined in after the attacks began . There is no definitive evidence that al-Qaeda or any other international terrorist organization participated in the Benghazi attack . The United States immediately increased security worldwide at diplomatic and military facilities and began investigating the Benghazi attack . Many Libyans condemned the attacks . They staged public demonstrations condemning Ansar al-Sharia , which had been formed during the 2011 Libyan civil war in opposition to leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi . Despite persistent accusations against President Obama , Hillary Clinton , and Susan Rice , ten investigations - six by Republican-controlled congressional committees - did not find that they or any other high-ranking Obama administration officials had acted improperly .