List of ambassadors of the United States to Afghanistan

The United States Ambassador to Afghanistan is the official representative of the President of the United States to the head of state of Afghanistan.

Chargé d'Affaires of the United States to Afghanistan
سفير ايالات متحده أمريكا به افغانستان
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Ross Wilson
Acting
since January 18, 2020
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holderWilliam H. Hornibrook
as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
FormationMay 4, 1935
WebsiteChargé d'Affaires to Afghanistan
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]

Although the U.S. Embassy to Afghanistan is located in Kabul, embassy operations have been located in Doha, Qatar since late August 2021, after the 2021 fall of Kabul and the subsequent evacuation of embassy personnel in Operation Allies Refuge.[2]

Ambassadors and chiefs of mission
Name Title Appointed Presented Credentials Terminated Mission Notes
William H. Hornibrook – Political appointee[3] 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[3] 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 1979 February 1980
Hawthorne Q. Mills – Career FSO Chargé d’Affaires a.i. February 1980 January 1982
Charles F. Dunbar – Career FSO Chargé d’Affaires a.i. 1982 1983
Edward Hurwitz – Career FSO Chargé d’Affaires a.i. 1983 1986
James Maurice Ealum Chargé d’Affaires a.i. March 1986 September 1987
Jon D. Glassman Chargé d’Affaires a.i. 1987 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[4] 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 c. March 2009
Karl Eikenberry – Political appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary April 3, 2009 May 21, 2009 July 25, 2011
Ryan Crocker – Career FSO[5][6] Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary July 7, 2009[7] July 25, 2011[8] July 13, 2012
James B. Cunningham - Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary August 2012, Sworn in as ambassador August 12, 2012. August 13, 2012[9] 2014
P. Michael McKinley - Career FSO[10] Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary December 2014 January 6, 2015[11] 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[12]
Ross Wilson Chargé d’Affaires[13] January 18, 2020


Notes
  1. "Afghanistan". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2011-07-17.
  2. Lippman, Daniel; Ward, Alexander (2021-09-01). "Top U.S. diplomat during Kabul evacuation tests positive for Covid". Politico. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  3. Also accredited to Iran.
  4. "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.
  5. "Ryan Crocker Sworn in as New Ambassador to Afghanistan". ABC News Radio. Retrieved 2011-07-17.
  6. "Public Schedule for July 7, 2011". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2011-07-17.
  7. Sworn in as ambassador July 7, 2011. As of July 17, not yet acceded to post.
  8. "Ambassador Crocker Presents Credentials". United States Department of State, U.S. Embassy Kabul. July 25, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
  9. "Ambassador James B. Cunningham Presents Credentials". August 13, 2012. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
  10. "Ambassador". Embassy of the United States Kabul, Afghanistan. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
  11. "Press Releases 2015". Embassy of the United States Kabul, Afghanistan. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
  12. "US ambassador to Afghanistan leaving post in 'long-planned' departure". 6 January 2020.
  13. "Chargé d'Affaires Ross Wilson". U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan. Retrieved 2021-11-07.

See also

References

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