In following posts, I will quote extensively from various websites (mostly government sites, where copyrights are not an issue) to present a statement of facts outlining the diplomatic history of the US and Afghanistan. Of course, in a judicial proceeding, those same facts would have to be established by expert testimony and certified documents.

Here is a simple example of some evidence which would be presented.

US Embassy - Kabul
About the embassy
History of the Embassy

1) First U.S. Minister to Afghanistan
Name: William H. Hornibrook
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Presentation of Credentials: May 4, 1935
Note: Accredited also to Persia; resident at Tehran.

2) Opening of Legation Kabul
Legation Kabul was opened Jun 6, 1942 with Charles W. Thayer as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.

3) Elevation of Legation to Embassy Kabul
Name: Ely E. Palmer
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Termination of Mission: Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Appointment: May 6, 1948 (Elevation from Legation to Embassy)

4) Closing of Embassy Kabul
Embassy Kabul was closed Jan 30, 1989.

Note: The U.S. Liaison Office in Kabul reopened Dec 17, 2001. The United States recognized the Interim Authority in Afghanistan on Dec 22, 2001. Ryan Crocker was appointed Charge d'Affaires ad interim Jan 2, 2002.

5) Robert Patrick John Finn
Presentation of Credentials: April 3, 2002
Termination of Mission: August 1, 2003

6) Dr. Zalmay Khalilzad
Presentation of Credential: November 24, 2003
Termination of Mission: June 20, 2005
http://kabul.usembassy.gov/about_the_embassy.html

This little excerpt is, of course, incomplete for our purposes. We need to know much more about the period 1989-2001.

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These following two sources will be quoted extensively in future posts. The urls are cited here, but will not be cited in future posts.

CRS Report for Congress
Order Code RL30588
Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy
Updated September 2, 2008
Kenneth Katzman
Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL30588.pdf

Embassy of Afghanistan (Washington D.C.)
History
About the Embassy
http://www.embassyofafghanistan.org/history.html