US-Afghanistan relations
Encyclopedia
United States – Afghanistan relations can be traced to 1921 but the first contact between the two occurred further back in 1830s when the first recorded person from the United States was visiting Afghanistan
.
The first recorded contact between Afghanistan and the United States occurred in 1830s when Josiah Harlan
, an American adventurer and political activist
from the Philadelphia area of Pennsylvania
, traveled to the Indian subcontinent
with intentions of becoming the King of Afghanistan. It was when the British Indian
army invaded Afghanistan, during the First Anglo-Afghan War
(1838-1842) when Afghan kings Shuja Shah Durrani
and Dost Mohammad Khan
were fighting for the throne of the Durrani Empire
. Harlan became involved in Afghan politics
and factional military actions, eventually winning the title Prince of Ghor in exchange for military aid. The British-Indians were defeated and forced to make a complete withdraw a few years later, with around 16,500 British and Indians reported to be either massacred or captured
in 1842. There is no clear evidence to what really happened because the claim is made by William Brydon
, the lone survivor. Harlan is believed to have left Afghanistan around the same period, eventually returning to the United States.
was signed between Afghanistan and colonial British India
, the Afghan mission
visited the United States to establish diplomatic relations. After the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1934, the U.S. policy of helping developing nations raise their standard of living was an important factor in maintaining and improving U.S. ties with Afghanistan. Residing in Tehran
, William Harrison Hornibrook served as a non-resident U.S. Envoy
(Minister Plenipotentiary) to Afghanistan from 1935 to 1936. Louis Goethe Dreyfus served from 1940 to 1942, at which point the Kabul Legation
was opened in June 1942. Major Gordon Enders of the United States Army
was appointed the first military attaché to Kabul and Cornelius Van Hemert Engert represented the U.S. Legation from 1942 to 1945 followed by Ely Eliot Palmer from 1945 to 1948.
The first official Afghanistan Ambassador to the United States was Habibullah Khan Tarzi
, who served from 1948 to 1953. The U.S. Kabul Legation was elevated to the U.S. Embassy Kabul
on May 6, 1948. Louis Goethe Dreyfus, who previously served as Minister Plenipotentiary, became the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan from 1949 to 1951.
In the 1950s, the United States declined Afghanistan's request for defense cooperation but extended an economic assistance program focused on the development of Afghanistan's physical infrastructure—roads, dams, and power plants. Later, U.S. aid shifted from infrastructure projects to technical assistance programs to help develop the skills needed to build a modern economy.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
visited Kabul in December 1959, becoming the first U.S. President to travel to Afghanistan. From 1950 to 1979, U.S. foreign assistance provided Afghanistan with more than $500 million in loans, grants, and surplus agricultural commodities to develop transportation facilities, increase agricultural production, expand the educational system, stimulate industry, and improve government administration.
The Peace Corps
was active in Afghanistan between 1962 and 1979. During the early 1960s the last King of Afghanistan, Zahir Shah
, went for a visit to the United States and met there with John F. Kennedy
and his wife Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
. Habibullah Karzai
, uncle of Hamid Karzai
who served as representative of Afghanistan at the United Nations
, is also believed to have accompanied Zahir Shah in the course of the King's state visit.
After the April 1978 Saur Revolution
, relations between the two nations deteriorated. In February 1979, U.S. Ambassador Adolph "Spike" Dubs
was murdered in Kabul after Afghan security forces burst in on his kidnappers. The U.S. then reduced bilateral assistance and terminated a small military training program. All remaining assistance agreements were ended after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
groups stationed on the Pakistani side of the Durand Line
. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul was closed in January 1989 for security reasons.
Following the September 11 attacks in the United States, believed to be orchestrated by Osama bin Laden
who was residing in Afghanistan under asylum
at the time, the U.S.
-led Operation Enduring Freedom was launched. This major military operation was aimed at removing the Taliban government
from power and to capture or kill al Qaeda members, including Osama bin Laden. Following the overthrow of the Taliban, the U.S. supported the new government of Afghan President
Hamid Karzai
by maintaining a high level of troops to establish the authority of his government as well as combat Taliban insurgency
. Both Afghanistan and the United States resumed diplomatic ties in late 2001.
The United States has taken the leading role in the overall reconstruction of Afghanistan by providing billions of dollars for building national roads, government and educational institutions, as well as the Afghan military
and national police force
. In 2005, the United States and Afghanistan signed a strategic partnership agreement committing both nations to a long-term relationship. Former U.S. President George W. Bush
along with his wife Laura
made a surprise visit to Afghanistan on March 1, 2006. Although many American politicians have praised Afghan President Hamid Karzai's leadership, he has come under fire in 2009 from the Obama administration
for his unwillingness to crack down on government corruption. After winning the 2009 presidential election
Karzai vowed to tackle the problem. He stated that "individuals who are involved in corruption will have no place in the government."
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul began renovation
in late 2001 and was expanded several years later. Many high level U.S. politicians
, military personnel
s, celebrities
and journalist
s began visiting Afghanistan over the last nine years. The U.S. State Department
is currently spending another $500 million to further expand their embassy in Kabul, which is scheduled to be completed in 2014. In December 2009, U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry
and Afghan officials, after signing a land lease for the mission with Afghan Foreign Minister
Rangin Spanta
, announced that the United States will open consulates
outside Kabul. A first lease-contract was signed in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif and a second one in the western city of Herat
. The consulate in Herat will temporary operate for three years in a leased hotel. During the period the United States will construct a new building for the consulate there. The Herat and Mazar-i-Sharif consulates will begin functioning in mid 2011. Two more U.S. consulates are being planned for the southern and eastern zones in Afghanistan, one in Kandahar
and another in Jalalabad
.
The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has an embassy in Washington DC
, as well as a consulate in New York City
and another in Los Angeles
. The current Afghan Ambassador to the United States is Eklil Ahmad Hakimi, replacing Said Tayeb Jawad
in early 2011.
The United States armed forces
have been gradually rising its troop level in Afghanistan since 2002, reaching about 100,000 in 2010. They are to begin leaving slowly between mid 2011 to the end of 2014. However, Vice President
Joe Biden
has proposed to station an unknown number of the U.S. military forces after 2014. South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham
also suggested that the United States should stay in Afghanistan permanently. This would benefit both nations, as the U.S. would have a clear idea about what was happening in the region on a daily basis, and Afghan security forces would have an edge militarily to ensure that the country never went back into the hands of the Taliban. The U.S. forces would also be available to protect diplomats and aid workers - especially diplomatic staff and USAID workers. Afghan leaders
accept this long-term U.S. military presence since it benefits them, but neighboring Iran and some of its allies are opposed to it.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
History
Josiah Harlan
Josiah Harlan, Prince of Ghor was an American adventurer, best known for travelling to Afghanistan and Punjab with the intention of making himself a king. While there, he became involved in local politics and factional military actions, eventually winning the title Prince of Ghor in perpetuity for...
, an American adventurer and political activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
from the Philadelphia area of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, traveled to the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
with intentions of becoming the King of Afghanistan. It was when the British Indian
Company rule in India
Company rule in India refers to the rule or dominion of the British East India Company on the Indian subcontinent...
army invaded Afghanistan, during the First Anglo-Afghan War
First Anglo-Afghan War
The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought between British India and Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia, and also marked one of the worst...
(1838-1842) when Afghan kings Shuja Shah Durrani
Shuja Shah Durrani
Shuja Shah Durrani was ruler of the Durrani Empire from 1803 to 1809. He then ruled from 1839 until his death in 1842. Shuja Shah was of the Sadozai line of the Abdali group of Pashtuns...
and Dost Mohammad Khan
Dost Mohammad Khan
Dost Mohammad Khan was the Emir of Afghanistan between 1826 and 1863. He first ruled from 1826 to 1839 and then from 1843 to 1863. He was the 11th son of Sardar Pāyendah Khan who was killed by Zaman Shah Durrani in 1799...
were fighting for the throne of the Durrani Empire
Durrani Empire
The Durrani Empire was a Pashtun dynasty centered in Afghanistan and included northeastern Iran, the Kashmir region, the modern state of Pakistan, and northwestern India. It was established at Kandahar in 1747 by Ahmad Shah Durrani, an Afghan military commander under Nader Shah of Persia and chief...
. Harlan became involved in Afghan politics
Politics of Afghanistan
The politics of Afghanistan consists of the Council of Ministers and the National Assembly, with a president serving as the head of state and commander-in-chief of the military. The nation is currently led by the Karzai administration under President Hamid Karzai who is backed by two vice...
and factional military actions, eventually winning the title Prince of Ghor in exchange for military aid. The British-Indians were defeated and forced to make a complete withdraw a few years later, with around 16,500 British and Indians reported to be either massacred or captured
Massacre of Elphinstone's Army
The Massacre of Elphinstone's Army was the destruction by Afghan forces, led by Akbar Khan, the son of Dost Mohammad Khan, of a combined British and Indian force of the British East India Company, led by Major General William Elphinstone, in January 1842....
in 1842. There is no clear evidence to what really happened because the claim is made by William Brydon
William Brydon
William Brydon CB was an assistant surgeon in the British East India Company Army during the First Anglo-Afghan War and is famous for being the only member of an army of 4,500 men to reach safety in Jalalabad at the end of the long retreat from Kabul.He was born in London of Scottish descent...
, the lone survivor. Harlan is believed to have left Afghanistan around the same period, eventually returning to the United States.
Official diplomatic relations
In January 1921, after the Treaty of RawalpindiTreaty of Rawalpindi
The Treaty of Rawalpindi was an armistice made between the United Kingdom and Afghanistan during the Third Anglo-Afghan War...
was signed between Afghanistan and colonial British India
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, the Afghan mission
Diplomatic missions of Afghanistan
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Afghanistan, excluding honorary consulates.At the height of the Taliban regime in the 1990s the only Afghan missions were in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates...
visited the United States to establish diplomatic relations. After the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1934, the U.S. policy of helping developing nations raise their standard of living was an important factor in maintaining and improving U.S. ties with Afghanistan. Residing in Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, William Harrison Hornibrook served as a non-resident U.S. Envoy
Envoy (title)
In diplomacy, an Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary is, under the terms of the Congress of Vienna of 1815, a diplomat of the second class, ranking between an Ambassador and a Minister Resident....
(Minister Plenipotentiary) to Afghanistan from 1935 to 1936. Louis Goethe Dreyfus served from 1940 to 1942, at which point the Kabul Legation
Legation
A legation was the term used in diplomacy to denote a diplomatic representative office lower than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an Ambassador, a legation was headed by a Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary....
was opened in June 1942. Major Gordon Enders of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
was appointed the first military attaché to Kabul and Cornelius Van Hemert Engert represented the U.S. Legation from 1942 to 1945 followed by Ely Eliot Palmer from 1945 to 1948.
The first official Afghanistan Ambassador to the United States was Habibullah Khan Tarzi
Habibullah Khan Tarzi
Ambassador Habibullah Khan Tarzi was head of the Afghan Delegation to Paris from 1923 to 1924. He served in that post to increase diplomatic/economic relations between France and Afghanistan. Tarzi would go on to play critical roles in the Afghan foreign affairs as the Temporary Representative to...
, who served from 1948 to 1953. The U.S. Kabul Legation was elevated to the U.S. Embassy Kabul
U.S. Embassy, Kabul
The Embassy of the United States in Kabul is the diplomatic mission of the United States in Afghanistan. It is located in the Wazir Akbar Khan section of the Afghan capital, Kabul, and is home to the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan. Ryan Crocker is the current Ambassador. Richard Holbrooke, who died...
on May 6, 1948. Louis Goethe Dreyfus, who previously served as Minister Plenipotentiary, became the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan from 1949 to 1951.
In the 1950s, the United States declined Afghanistan's request for defense cooperation but extended an economic assistance program focused on the development of Afghanistan's physical infrastructure—roads, dams, and power plants. Later, U.S. aid shifted from infrastructure projects to technical assistance programs to help develop the skills needed to build a modern economy.
U.S. President Eisenhower visits Afghanistan
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
visited Kabul in December 1959, becoming the first U.S. President to travel to Afghanistan. From 1950 to 1979, U.S. foreign assistance provided Afghanistan with more than $500 million in loans, grants, and surplus agricultural commodities to develop transportation facilities, increase agricultural production, expand the educational system, stimulate industry, and improve government administration.
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
was active in Afghanistan between 1962 and 1979. During the early 1960s the last King of Afghanistan, Zahir Shah
Mohammed Zahir Shah
Mohammed Zahir Shah was the last King of Afghanistan, reigning for four decades, from 1933 until he was ousted by a coup in 1973...
, went for a visit to the United States and met there with John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
and his wife Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier "Jackie" Kennedy Onassis was the wife of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and served as First Lady of the United States during his presidency from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. Five years later she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle...
. Habibullah Karzai
Habibullah Karzai
Habibullah Khan Karzai is a powerful Afghan leader from the Popalzai clan. He is an elder and considered a leader of the Karzai family. His younger brother, Abdullah Khan Karzai was the father of President Hamid Karzai....
, uncle of Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
who served as representative of Afghanistan at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, is also believed to have accompanied Zahir Shah in the course of the King's state visit.
After the April 1978 Saur Revolution
Saur Revolution
The Saur Revolution is the name given to the Communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan takeover of political power from the government of Afghanistan on 28 April 1978. The word 'Saur', i.e...
, relations between the two nations deteriorated. In February 1979, U.S. Ambassador Adolph "Spike" Dubs
Adolph Dubs
Adolph "Spike" Dubs was the United States Ambassador to Afghanistan from May 13, 1978 until his death in 1979. He was killed in an exchange of fire after a kidnapping attempt.-Career:...
was murdered in Kabul after Afghan security forces burst in on his kidnappers. The U.S. then reduced bilateral assistance and terminated a small military training program. All remaining assistance agreements were ended after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
During the Cold War and Mujahideen era
Following the Soviet invasion, the United States supported diplomatic efforts to achieve a Soviet withdrawal. In addition, generous U.S. contributions to the refugee program in Pakistan played a major part in efforts to assist Afghan refugees. U.S. efforts also included helping the population living inside Afghanistan. This cross-border humanitarian assistance program aimed at increasing Afghan self-sufficiency and helping resist Soviet attempts to drive civilians out of the rebel-dominated countryside. During the period of Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the U.S. provided about 3 billion US dollars in military and economic assistance to the MujahideenMujahideen
Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
groups stationed on the Pakistani side of the Durand Line
Durand Line
The Durand Line refers to the porous international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which has divided the ethnic Pashtuns . This poorly marked line is approximately long...
. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul was closed in January 1989 for security reasons.
United States mission in Afghanistan
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
who was residing in Afghanistan under asylum
Right of asylum
Right of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...
at the time, the U.S.
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
-led Operation Enduring Freedom was launched. This major military operation was aimed at removing the Taliban government
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was founded in 1996 when the Taliban began their rule of Afghanistan and ended with their fall from power in 2001...
from power and to capture or kill al Qaeda members, including Osama bin Laden. Following the overthrow of the Taliban, the U.S. supported the new government of Afghan President
President of Afghanistan
Afghanistan has only been a republic between 1973 and 1992 and from 2001 onwards. Before 1973, it was a monarchy that was governed by a variety of kings, emirs or shahs...
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
by maintaining a high level of troops to establish the authority of his government as well as combat Taliban insurgency
Taliban insurgency
The Taliban insurgency took root shortly after the group's fall from power following the 2001 war in Afghanistan. The Taliban continue to attack Afghan, U.S., and other ISAF troops and many terrorist incidents attributable to them have been registered. The war has also spread over the southern and...
. Both Afghanistan and the United States resumed diplomatic ties in late 2001.
The United States has taken the leading role in the overall reconstruction of Afghanistan by providing billions of dollars for building national roads, government and educational institutions, as well as the Afghan military
Military of Afghanistan
The military of Afghanistan is composed of the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Army Air Force . Being a landlocked country, Afghanistan has no navy, and the private security forces who are sometimes seen wearing military uniforms are not part of Afghanistan's military...
and national police force
Afghan National Police
The Afghan National Police - ANP - is the primary national police force in Afghanistan. It serves as a single law enforcement agency all across the country. The Afghan police force was first created with the establishment of the Afghan nation in the early 18th century...
. In 2005, the United States and Afghanistan signed a strategic partnership agreement committing both nations to a long-term relationship. Former U.S. President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
along with his wife Laura
Laura Bush
Laura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...
made a surprise visit to Afghanistan on March 1, 2006. Although many American politicians have praised Afghan President Hamid Karzai's leadership, he has come under fire in 2009 from the Obama administration
Presidency of Barack Obama
The Presidency of Barack Obama began at noon EST on January 20, 2009 when he became the 44th President of the United States. Obama was a United States Senator from Illinois at the time of his victory over Arizona Senator John McCain in the 2008 presidential election...
for his unwillingness to crack down on government corruption. After winning the 2009 presidential election
Afghan presidential election, 2009
The 2009 presidential election in Afghanistan was characterized by lack of security, low voter turnout and widespread ballot stuffing, intimidation, and other electoral fraud....
Karzai vowed to tackle the problem. He stated that "individuals who are involved in corruption will have no place in the government."
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul began renovation
Renovation
Renovation is the process of improving a structure. Two prominent types of renovations are commercial and residential.-Process:The process of a renovation, however complex, can usually be broken down into several processes...
in late 2001 and was expanded several years later. Many high level U.S. politicians
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
, military personnel
Military personnel
Military personnel is a blanket term used to refer to members of any armed force. Usually, military personnel are divided into branches of service roughly defined by certain circumstances of the deployment of the personnel. Those who serve in a typical large land force are soldiers, making up an...
s, celebrities
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
s began visiting Afghanistan over the last nine years. The U.S. State Department
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
is currently spending another $500 million to further expand their embassy in Kabul, which is scheduled to be completed in 2014. In December 2009, U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry
Karl Eikenberry
Karl Winfrid Eikenberry is a retired United States Army Lieutenant General and former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan.-Education:Eikenberry graduated from Goldsboro High School in Goldsboro, North Carolina in 1969 and then attended West Point, where he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant upon...
and Afghan officials, after signing a land lease for the mission with Afghan Foreign Minister
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Afghanistan)
The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs - MFA - is the Government of Afghanistan Cabinet officer responsible for managing the Foreign relations of Afghanistan.-Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan:-External links:*...
Rangin Spanta
Rangin Dadfar Spanta
Dr. Rangin Dadfar Spanta was the foreign minister of Afghanistan.He was appointed to that position by Hamid Karzai during a cabinet reshuffle on March 21, 2006 and approved by the 249-seat lower house on April 20, 2006. He was previously the Senior Advisor on International Affairs to President...
, announced that the United States will open consulates
Consul (representative)
The political title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries...
outside Kabul. A first lease-contract was signed in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif and a second one in the western city of Herat
Herat
Herāt is the capital of Herat province in Afghanistan. It is the third largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of about 397,456 as of 2006. It is situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan...
. The consulate in Herat will temporary operate for three years in a leased hotel. During the period the United States will construct a new building for the consulate there. The Herat and Mazar-i-Sharif consulates will begin functioning in mid 2011. Two more U.S. consulates are being planned for the southern and eastern zones in Afghanistan, one in Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
and another in Jalalabad
Jalalabad
Jalalabad , formerly called Adinapour, as documented by the 7th century Hsüan-tsang, is a city in eastern Afghanistan. Located at the junction of the Kabul River and Kunar River near the Laghman valley, Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar province. It is linked by approximately of highway with...
.
The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has an embassy in Washington DC
Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington, D.C.
The Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington, D.C. is the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan's diplomatic mission to the United States. It is located at 2341 Wyoming Avenue N.W...
, as well as a consulate in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and another in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The current Afghan Ambassador to the United States is Eklil Ahmad Hakimi, replacing Said Tayeb Jawad
Said Tayeb Jawad
Said Tayeb Jawad was appointed Afghan Ambassador to the U.S. on December 4, 2003, by President Hamid Karzai and served as Ambassador until September 22, 2010. He also served as Afghanistan’s non-resident Ambassador to Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Argentina. He previously was Chief of Staff to the...
in early 2011.
The United States armed forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
have been gradually rising its troop level in Afghanistan since 2002, reaching about 100,000 in 2010. They are to begin leaving slowly between mid 2011 to the end of 2014. However, Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
has proposed to station an unknown number of the U.S. military forces after 2014. South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham
Lindsey Graham
Lindsey Olin Graham is the senior U.S. Senator from South Carolina and a member of the Republican Party. Previously he served as the U.S. Representative for .-Early life, education and career:...
also suggested that the United States should stay in Afghanistan permanently. This would benefit both nations, as the U.S. would have a clear idea about what was happening in the region on a daily basis, and Afghan security forces would have an edge militarily to ensure that the country never went back into the hands of the Taliban. The U.S. forces would also be available to protect diplomats and aid workers - especially diplomatic staff and USAID workers. Afghan leaders
Politics of Afghanistan
The politics of Afghanistan consists of the Council of Ministers and the National Assembly, with a president serving as the head of state and commander-in-chief of the military. The nation is currently led by the Karzai administration under President Hamid Karzai who is backed by two vice...
accept this long-term U.S. military presence since it benefits them, but neighboring Iran and some of its allies are opposed to it.
See also
- Foreign relations of AfghanistanForeign relations of AfghanistanThe foreign relations of Afghanistan, like those of any country, have changed along with the political, sociological, and economic state of the various parts of Afghanistan.-Overview:...
- United States Ambassador to AfghanistanUnited States Ambassador to AfghanistanThe United States Ambassador to Afghanistan is the official representative of the President of the United States to the head of state of Afghanistan....
- U.S. Embassy, KabulU.S. Embassy, KabulThe Embassy of the United States in Kabul is the diplomatic mission of the United States in Afghanistan. It is located in the Wazir Akbar Khan section of the Afghan capital, Kabul, and is home to the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan. Ryan Crocker is the current Ambassador. Richard Holbrooke, who died...
- Afghan AmericanAfghan AmericanAn Afghan American refers to an American with heritage or origins in Afghanistan.-History and population:Afghan Americans have a long history of immigrating to the United States, as they may have arrived as early as the 1920s...
External links
- Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington D.C.
- Embassy of the United States in Kabul
- United States policy toward Afghanistan: a Dossier
- U.S. Department of State - Background Note: Afghanistan