Remembering Ambassador Dubs, And the Future of Afghanistan (Ambassador Adolph "Spike" Dubs‪)‬

Editor's Note: A retired Foreign Service Officer who was in Kabul at the time recalls the kidnapping and murder of the U.S. ambassador in 1979 and notes that in the subsequent three decades Afghanistan has remained beset by violence and mired in poverty. He calls for a new approach to helping the Afghan people that recognizes their conservatism and resistance to foreign-imposed change.--Ed. February 14, 2009, Valentine's Day, marks the thirtieth anniversary of the kidnapping and murder of U.S. Ambassador Adolph "Spike" Dubs at the Kabul Hotel in the center of the Afghan capital. It was the worst day in my Foreign Service career. I knew Ambassador Dubs well and served as his press and information officer at Embassy Kabul.