List of ambassadors of the United States to Afghanistan

The United States ambassador to Afghanistan is the official diplomatic representative of the United States to Afghanistan. In the wake of the 2021 fall of Kabul to the Taliban, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul transferred operations to Doha, Qatar. Since December 31, 2021, the U.S. Interests Section at the Embassy of Qatar in Kabul has served as the protecting power for the U.S. in Afghanistan.

Ambassador of the United States to Afghanistan
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Karen B. Decker
(chargé d'affaires)
since August 1, 2022
United States Department of State
Afghan Affairs Unit at U.S. Embassy Doha
Reports toUnited States Secretary of State
SeatDoha, Qatar
AppointerPresident of the United States
with advice and consent of the Senate
Term lengthAt the pleasure of the President
Inaugural holderWilliam H. Hornibrook
(as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary)
Formation
  • May 4, 1935 (1935-05-04) (original)
  • December 17, 2001 (2001-12-17) (current form)
WebsiteOfficial website

U.S. diplomatic terms

Career FSO
After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.

Political appointee
A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends).

Appointed
The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as "commissioning". It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office.

Presented credentials
The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador's arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador's letter, but this occurs only rarely.

Terminated mission
Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador's commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.

Chargé d'affaires
The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country.

Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime".
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul, 2010

The 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 resided 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 d’Affaires 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.[1]

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 d’affaires 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.[1]

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. The United States recognized the Afghan Interim Administration on December 22, 2001, when it assumed the authority to represent Afghanistan in its external relations. The embassy reopened on January 17, 2002, with Ryan Crocker as Chargé d’Affaires a.i.[1]

Ambassadors and chiefs of mission
Name Title Appointed Presented credentials Terminated mission Notes
William H. Hornibrook – Political appointee[2] Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary January 22, 1935 May 4, 1935 Left Tehran March 16, 1936 The names of the chargés heading the Afghanistan mission between Hornibrook’s departure in 1936 and the arrival of Dreyfus in 1941 have not been recorded.
Louis G. Dreyfus, Jr. – Career FSO[2] Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary February 16, 1940 May 19, 1941 Superseded by establishment of legation in Kabul, July 25, 1942 Legation Kabul was opened June 6, 1942 with Charles W. Thayer as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim.
Cornelius Van Hemert Engert – Career FSO Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary May 2, 1942 July 2, 1942 Left post August 17, 1945
Ely Palmer – Career FSO Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary February 9, 1945 December 6, 1945 Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary During Palmer’s tenure as envoy, the Legation was elevated to Embassy status on June 5, 1948, when Palmer presented his credentials to the Afghan government.
Ely Palmer – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary May 6, 1948 June 5, 1948 Left post November 18, 1948
Louis G. Dreyfus, Jr. – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary April 21, 1949 August 16, 1949 Left post January 19, 1951
George Robert Merrell – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary April 19, 1951 June 28, 1951 Left post May 3, 1952
Angus I. Ward – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary June 27, 1952 November 8, 1952 Left post March 3, 1956
Sheldon T. Mills – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary March 28, 1956 May 6, 1956 Left post February 3, 1959
Henry A. Byroade – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary January 29, 1959 March 21, 1959 Left post January 19, 1962
John M. Steeves – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary February 7, 1962 March 20, 1962 Left post July 21, 1966
Robert G. Neumann – Political appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary November 3, 1966 February 19, 1967 Left post September 10, 1973
Theodore L. Eliot, Jr. – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary September 20, 1973 November 21, 1973 Left post June 14, 1978
Adolph Dubs – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary June 27, 1978 July 12, 1978 Assassinated at post February 14, 1979
J. Bruce Amstutz – Career FSO Chargé d’Affaires a.i. February 14, 1979 February 1980
Hawthorne Q. Mills – Career FSO Chargé d’Affaires a.i. February 1980 January 1982
Charles Franklin Dunbar – Career FSO Chargé d’Affaires a.i. January 1982 June 1983
Edward Hurwitz – Career FSO Chargé d’Affaires a.i. June 1983 March 1986
James Maurice Ealum Chargé d’Affaires a.i. March 1986 September 1987
Jon D. Glassman Chargé d’Affaires a.i. September 1987 January 30, 1989
Peter Tomsen served as Special Envoy to Afghanistan (to the Northern Alliance) 1989–1992. The U.S. Embassy Kabul was closed in January 1989. The Embassy was reopened January 17, 2002.[1]
James F. Dobbins – Career FSO Ambassador (in charge of reestablishing U.S. Embassy) December 17, 2001 January 2, 2002
Ryan Crocker – Career FSO Chargé d’Affaires a.i. January 2, 2002[3] Unknown April 3, 2002
Robert Finn – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary March 21, 2002 April 3, 2002 Left post August 1, 2004
Zalmay Khalilzad – Political appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary August 17, 2004 September 28, 2004 Left post June 20, 2005
Ronald E. Neumann – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary June 27, 2005 August 1, 2005 Left post April 10, 2007
William Braucher Wood – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary March 28, 2007 April 16, 2007 April 9, 2009
Karl Eikenberry – Political appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary April 3, 2009 May 21, 2009 July 25, 2011
Ryan Crocker – Career FSO[4][5] Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary July 7, 2011[6] July 25, 2011[7] July 13, 2012
James B. Cunningham - Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary August 2012, Sworn in as ambassador August 12, 2012. August 13, 2012[8] December 7, 2014
P. Michael McKinley - Career FSO[9] Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary December 2014 January 6, 2015[10] December 18, 2016
Hugo Llorens Career Ambassador and Special Chargé d’Affaires December 19, 2016 November 17, 2017
John R. Bass Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary September 28, 2017 December 12, 2017 January 6, 2020[11]
Ross Wilson Chargé d’Affaires[12] January 18, 2020 August 31, 2021
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul transferred operations to Doha, Qatar, on August 31, 2021, following the fall of Kabul to the Taliban.[13][14] Since December 31, the U.S. Interests Section at the Embassy of Qatar in Kabul has served as the protecting power for the U.S. in Afghanistan.[15]
Ian McCary Chargé d’Affaires August 31, 2021[16][17][18] July 31, 2022
Karen B. Decker Chargé d’Affaires August 1, 2022[19] Incumbent

Notes

    See also

    References
    1. "Afghanistan". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2011-07-17.
    2. Also accredited to Iran.
    3. "Previous U.S. Ambassadors to Afghanistan". U.S. Embassy in Kabul. U.S. Department of State. February 21, 2017. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
    4. "Ryan Crocker Sworn in as New Ambassador to Afghanistan". ABC News Radio. Retrieved 2011-07-17.
    5. "Public Schedule for July 7, 2011". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2011-07-17.
    6. Sworn in as ambassador July 7, 2011. As of July 17, not yet acceded to post.
    7. "Ambassador Crocker Presents Credentials". United States Department of State, U.S. Embassy Kabul. July 25, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
    8. "Ambassador James B. Cunningham Presents Credentials". August 13, 2012. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
    9. "Ambassador". Embassy of the United States Kabul, Afghanistan. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
    10. "Press Releases 2015". Embassy of the United States Kabul, Afghanistan. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
    11. "US ambassador to Afghanistan leaving post in 'long-planned' departure". 6 January 2020.
    12. "Chargé d'Affaires Ross Wilson". U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
    13. Jakes, Lara (30 August 2021). "In a final blow of the 20-year war, U.S. envoys close their embassy and exit Kabul". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
    14. U.S. Embassy in Kabul (31 August 2021). "Security Message: Suspension of Operations". Retrieved 2 April 2022.
    15. Beitsch, Rebecca; Rai, Sarakshi (12 November 2021). "Qatar to formally represent US interests in Afghanistan". The Hill. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
    16. Lippman, Daniel; Ward, Alexander (9 September 2021). "Top U.S. diplomat during Kabul evacuation tests positive for Covid". Politico. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
    17. Kelemen, Michele (3 September 2021). "Blinken Will Visit Qatar, Where Diplomats Relocated To Keep Working On Afghanistan". NPR. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
    18. "U.N. and U.S. raise concern over reports of Afghan journalist arrests". Reuters. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
    19. Our ambassador US Embassy
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