The Dust of Kandahar: A Diplomat Among Warriors in Afghanistan

“Dust of Kandahar” is an excellent book of the behind the scenes daily grind of working as a diplomat in a country that has been the focal point of decades of international conflict. I know the author Jonathan Addleton from my days as a Foreign Service officer in Kazakhstan and Mongolia. After I resigned from the US diplomatic corps in 2003 in opposition to the Iraq war, and a few assignments later for him, Jonathan became US Ambassador to Mongolia. With the status of a senior diplomat, in 2012 he was appointed the Senior Civilian Representative (SCR) in the Kandahar region of Afghanistan, the civilian counterpart to US/NATO military generals.Addleton’s descriptions of the good and the bad of the US and NATO military and civilian operations in the volatile area of Kandahar in 2012-2013 and the challenges of working in the field versus in the US Embassy where, due to security concerns, officials seldom emerge from the compound in Kabul point to the problems of thirteen years (at the time of the book) of attempting to establish western rule of law, to conduct fair elections, to establish government accountability, to prevent corruption and to train a military and national police force in a country during military conflict provide a look into the wide range of programs and policies the international community is attempting to provide to the Afghan people—while thousands of Afghan civilians have been killed during a brutal war against the Taliban militia.Addleton’s assessment of Afghan government officials and tribal leaders is surprisingly forthright considering the vetting and clearance process the book must undergo from the US Department of State. Interestingly, as a longtime USAID professional in Pakistan, India, Cambodia, Jordan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, instead of chronicling the variety of educational, governance, rule of law programs that were in his area and how effective or ineffective they were, how much corruption was in the region, etc., he focuses a great deal of the book on the deaths that have occurred because of these operations.One feels how deeply affected he was by these deaths as he tells the names and background/history of many of the US, NATO and Afghan employees who were killed during his one year in Kandahar and the endless ceremonies at plane side for their bodies before they were flown home.Addelton writes with intense sorrow and grief about the deaths of members of his staff and security personnel when they were hit with shrapnel from two IEDs, accompanying the body of a new, young Foreign Service officer back to the United States, meeting her family and returning within hours back to Afghanistan. He describes the inevitable guilt of a survivor of such a horrific attack, a guilt that comes frequently to those in the military due to the numbers killed in our armed forces, but that has not happened to as many in the US diplomatic corps. The numerous passages with references to the IED attack are evidence of the predictable post-traumatic stress that will continue indefinitely for the author.As a member of the small team that reopened the US Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan in December 2001, and who felt the US/NATO would have only a short time to effect important programs for the people of Afghanistan coming out from under the oppression of the Taliban, I agree strongly with his assessment that the level of graft and corruption in many of the senior leaders of government, warlords and political elites and the massive amounts of money made by US contractors have left little for the Afghan people—as evidenced by continuing support for the Taliban and the high level of insecurity in the country after sixteen years of US/NATO involvement.Few books have been written by U.S. diplomats about their experiences over the past two decades about working in a forward deployed military operation attempting to conduct diplomatic and aid projects while a war rages around them. Addleton’s book “Dust of Kandahar” fills that category well.

Jonathan Addleton's first hand account of his year's service in Afghanistan, offers an open and honest view into what it's like to serve as a diplomat in a war zone. The author's writing is day to day. Reading his personal journal allows the reader to glimpse at the intimate and to view the big picture drama, illuminating the challenges of those who serve. It gives us important insight into the life and death struggles of those who are caught up in the conflict in Afghanistan.

A very interesting account of a year in Kandahar presented in a diary format. The climax is an attack which makes for compelling reading. Quite frightening. The discouragements and victories of genuine attempts to help Afghanistan are carefully presented. The ramp and purple heart ceremonies are disappointingly frequent. What a difficult place to work and try to really make a difference! Well, done, Jonathan, thank you for your service.

In Dust of Kandahar Jonathan Addleton takes us on a difficult journey through a part of the world that is little known and greatly misunderstood. Through journal entries the reader participates in Purple Heart ceremonies, long distance communication with family, mouth-watering dinners at the homes of Afghans, and ultimately in an inconceivable tragedy. Addleton’s descriptive writing is a gift and his ability to humanize people is much needed in our world.

Jonathan's writing is exquisite. He makes the reader feel the dust, sand and atmosphere. The list of acronyms and glossary are very helpful and are a must-read for anyone going there. How can one enjoy a book in which innocent people die? So, I cannot say I enjoyed it, but I am so glad he wrote it and shared with us what he went through.

An insightful and heartbreaking account of the American experience on the ground in Afghanistan.

The Dust of Kandahar is a recounting of the experiences of Ambassador Addleton in his role as the senior civilian representative for the US Embassy in southern Afghanistan as the American presence wound down in 2012 and 2013.The text is taken from his daily journals for the year August 2012 to August 2013. While much of the entries describe routine (and seemingly endless meetings and briefings with general, visiting congressional aides, Afghani politicians and tribal leaders), sadly and poignantly the “ramp ceremonies” occur far to frequently in Addleton’s accounting. These are the ceremonies that honor the day’s or week’s sacrifices and send the fallen soldiers home.Ambassador Addleton expresses concern —indeed pessimism — about the future of Afghanistan after the planned US withdrawal and though the Afghani generals believe the Afghani soldiers will perform to expectations, the great fear is that the Taliban are simply biding their time.There are vivid and touching vignettes of the Afghanistan that once was and to which the country clings, if by its fingernails:Evenings spent watching the last rays of sun disappear behind the Hindu KushRose gardens in full bloom,A peacock strutting on a lawn,A solitary man praying in his fields.Wetlands filled with ducksTwo cranes walking across the grassPiles of apricots drying in the sun on rooftopsViewing Afghanistan from behind the thick plexiglass of armored vehicles or from above in Black Hawk helicopters or on footAnd, there is the tragic loss of close friends and a near-death experience that lingers with the author and the reader well after the book ends.I come away with great respect for all those who serve under similar difficulties and thankful to have people who are willing — even compelled — to take on these duties in our stead.

The book was an excellent account of what Jonathan Addleton experienced while in Afghanistan

Amazing read.