One American Among Malaysia Airline Victims

[Bob Of Burleson]

By: The Associated Press Email

President Obama says one American was among the 298 people killed when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine Thursday en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

Mr. Obama said Friday the airliner was brought down by a surface-to-air missile in an area controlled by Russian-backed separatists. The president called it a global tragedy in remarks from the White House, one day after the plane crashed. He is calling for a credible international investigation.

The jet was shot down near the border between Ukraine and Russia. The victims include international passengers from all walks of life, including a prominent AIDS researcher, a florist and a nun.

Several passengers were traveling to Melbourne, Australia for the 20th International AIDS conference that starts on Sunday. The Academic Medical Center hospital in Amsterdam said two of its staff, including renowned AIDS researcher Joep Lange, a former president of the International AIDS Society, are believed to have died.

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[BigTex]

One American - certainly not worth cancelling a fundraiser over.