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US embassy in Kabul opens with the same old flag
The American flag that was taken down when the U.S. Embassy was abandoned nearly 13 years ago rose again, inaugurating what envoy James F. Dobbins promised would be a long commitment to rebuilding Afghanistan. "Today's ceremony symbolizes the return, after more than a decade of absence, of the United States to Afghanistan," said Dobbins, the special U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, as he presided over the rain-soaked ceremony in the embassy's dilapidated front courtyard. "We are here, and we are here to stay." To the strains of the national anthem piped over a sound system, a four-man Marine honor guard bore the flag forward and then carefully raised it. For now, the embassy building will be used as a liaison office, housing a small group of American diplomats. A charge d'affaires will be appointed in coming weeks, and then an ambassador in coming months. Diplomats assigned there will be eligible for hazardous duty pay for years to come -- but we win in Afghanistan!
Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2001-12-17 |
