We have believed for some time that he has been killed.

What we do know is that a number of American soldiers have been killed and even more have been injured in a horrific outburst of violence.

A security guard was killed in the bank raid.

But beyond the personal loss for their families and friends, there is a civic loss when good journalists are killed. Most news organizations have retrenched and many overseas bureaus have been closed.

A young woman, for example, related how her father had had an ominous dream, but nonetheless went into the jungle the next day and was killed.