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Showing posts with label Flickr. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Flickr. Show all posts
Monday, January 9, 2012
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Diplopundit's Best Photos - The Foreign Service in 2011
Below are some of our favorite photos of 2011, in no particular order. The photos are available through Flickr, FB, and the occasional ambo blogs.
How high can you jump, Mr. Ambassador?
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| US Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Matt Bryza jumping over a bonfire during the celebration of Novruz Bayram Photo from US Embassy Baku/Flickr |
Pancake Special with Lochman Smile
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| U.S. Consulate
General in Calgary memorialized the
tragic events of September 11, 2001. Consul General Lochman serves pancakes to first responders and CF personnel Via US Consulate General Calgary/Flickr |
A moment in time in Laos
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| Ambassador to Laos Karen Stewart during her visit to Phalak, a village of mostly Hmong people who returned to Laos from Thailand Photo from Than Thoot Karen! |
Can you say run in Cambodian?
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| A U.S. Marine plays a game with children during a community service project at the Help the Cambodian Children Goodwill Center. Photo from US Embassy Cambodia/FB |
It's a boat! It's a plane! It's Kristie Kenney!
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| U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Kristie Kenney during the most recent Thailand floods Photo via US Embassy Bangkok/FB  region of Lopburi with a military instructor after jumping from a Thai military helicopter |
Is that really what you want?
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| U.S. Ambassador Dan Shapiro and his daughter Merav on a shopping tour for the four species and decorations for their Sukka in Rabin Square, Tel Aviv. Photo from US Embassy Tel Aviv/Flickr |
Is this man going to give me the gift or what?
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| Consul General (CG) Karachi Bill Martin
visits flood victims at a relief camp
and a goods distribution site in the hardest-hit area of Tando Allahyar on October 26, 2011. Photo from US ConGen Karachi/Flickr |
Force of nature
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| Taken during the US response to the Christchurch
Earthquake Photo from US Embassy NZ/Flickr |
Getting ready for the big day
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| Ambassador and Mrs. Mark Brzezinski just prior to his presentation of credentials to His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden on November 24, 2011 Photo from US Embassy Sweden/Flickr |
Four monks and the cherry trees
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| Four Buddhist monks, who live in North Carolina, photograph each other
among the cherry trees in Washington, D.C. The men are originally from Thailand Photo from US Embassy Tokyo/Flickr |
Do they make them that young now?
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| Boy in uniform during Ambassador Gene Cretz visit to Misurata, Libya Photo via state.gov/Flickr |
Just between us, are we ever leaving Afghanistan?
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| Grover (Kajkoal) welcomes U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker to the French
Cultural Center for the launch event of the Baghch-e-SimSim on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 Photo from US Embassy Kabul/Flickr |
To Diplopundit's friends and readers, may your holidays be merry and filled with joy in the company of loved ones and good friends. Our thoughts and good wishes also go to our men and women in uniform who are still in Afghanistan, and our Foreign Service personnel in high stress/high threat/unaccompanied posts around the world.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
US Mission New Zealand: Two Years in Pictures
Our wonderful folks at U.S. Mission New Zealand who went through seven earthquakes in 2011, including the Christchurch Earthquake in February, have put together a collection of photographs to remember the life of the mission in the last two years.
Here is how Ambassador David Huebner explain it in his blog:
As a general matter, I think it’s important to remind folks of the value and meaning of the work they do, and of how skilled they are at doing it. So, I plowed through my files and selected photos from many of the events in which the Embassy and Consulate General have been involved since I arrived, plus a couple of images from elsewhere to provide context. The slide show below contains all 70 photos in our new hallway exhibition:
After we got everything up on the walls, I asked my Embassy colleagues to vote for their favorite of the images on display. The “winner” was the photo below of our colleague Mike leaving Christchurch four days after the February 22nd earthquake.
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| Photo by Josh Greene February25,2011 via US Embassy New Zealand |
In Christchurch for the US-NZ Partnership Forum when the quake struck, Mike and seven other staffers camped on the floor of the US Antarctic Program offices at night and forayed into the ruined city by day to search for injured Americans, provide relief services to American citizens, and facilitate the arrival and deployment of urban search and rescue teams from the United States.
It was difficult, emotional, and highly stressful work … with little sleep, limited water, no amenities or toiletries, more than a few unpleasant surprises, and only the clothes on their backs. Snapped by my colleague Josh with his Blackberry as he and the others finally boarded an evacuation flight after their work was done, the photo of Mike powerfully captures the mood of the week.
The second most "favorited" photo is that of the Emperor penguin colony representatives in Antarctica during their first diplomatic encounter with Ambassador Huebner.
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| Photo by USAF/MarkDoll | December1,2011 via US Embassy New Zealand |
Below are three from the 70-photo collection that I particularly like: 1) Ambassador Huebner with Chelsea, the Kiwi; 2) the two men in suits working on the haka, a traditional ancestral war cry/dance of the Māori people; and 3) the half naked Hawaiian dancers with the four U.S. Marines in full uniform.
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| Independence Day 2011 Hawaiian performers in Wellington Photo by Ola Thorsen August 4,2011 US Embassy New Zealand |
Kudos to US Mission NZ, particularly Mike C., the digital engagement specialist and Ola T., who snaps the photographs, for their dedication and active management of the embassy's social channels. The streams are always current and the photos are appropriately labeled. We can't find an excuse to invent our own captions :-) I have to add that USNZ has a pretty well organized website, too. The only thing that I'd like to see it improve is if a link to Warden Messages is located right on the main page, instead of four clicks deep. (update @10:10 pm-link on the main page now, wow!)
Check out the mission's online presence below:
US Embassy NZ / Samoa
Follow US Embassy NZ / Samoa
View my Profile
Photos
Connect with Wellington / Apia
Watch our Videos & Subscribe
Watch our Videos on Vimeo
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
US Embassy Afghanistan: Sesame Street Goes to Kabul, But Where's Elmo?
Via US Embassy Kabul/FB | On November 30, 2011, Ambassador Ryan Crocker, joined by Deputy Minister of Education Patman and Dr. Charlotte Cole of Sesame Workshop, attended the launch of the Afghan version of Sesame Street, Baghch-e-SimSim, which was produced in cooperation with Tolo TV / Moby Group. The event was moderated by Tolo's Masood Sanjer, and featured muppets Grover (Kajkoal) and Ernie (Hadi) at the French Cultural Center Kabul, Afghanistan.
But where's Elmo?
Friday, December 2, 2011
Secretary Clinton Visits Burma, November 30-December 2 (Photos)
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived in Nay Pyi Taw to begin her historic visit to Burma on November 30. She was greeted by Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Myo Myint upon her arrival. During her visit, she met with Burmese President U Thein Sein and Burmese First Lady, Daw Khin Khin Win, the Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament U Shwe Mann and other officials. She also met with local and international press and with opposition politician, Aung San Suu Kyi.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Photo of the Day: Clowning around for cross-border theatre ties
Via US ConGen Calgary/Flickr | 20 October 2011: Clowning around to promote cross-border theatre ties:
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| Photo from US CG Calgary/Flickr |
"Red noses were the required dress code at a welcome reception hosted by Consul General Laura Lochman for members of Aga-Boom Theatre of Physical Comedy and Circus Arts. The Las Vegas-based clown troop created by veterans of Cirque du Soleil is in Calgary for three days of performances for Y Stage at Vertigo Theatre, an arts group specializing in theatre for young audiences. Staff of the Consulate clowned around with guests from Calgary’s cultural community to highlight the collaborations and partnerships Y Stage has been forging with American artists specializing in theatre for young people. “Usually when we talk about our bilateral relationship, the conversation revolves around trade or security. We don’t often get the opportunity to highlight the many links between our two countries in the arts, but they are extensive,” Consul General Lochman told guests, adding that this kind of collaboration supports the development and well-being of young people on both sides of the border. The event also provided an opportunity to plug Las Vegas as a destination for family fun with guests donning colorful “flash” pins provided by Las Vegas Tourism. The evening ended with an impromptu musical performance by Aga Boom."
Laura Lochman arrived in Calgary June 22 to take up her post as Consul General for Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories for a three-year term. Her foreign languages include French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian. And don't mess up with her, she also holds a black belt in karate!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Thanksgiving Day 2011: Foreign Service Roundup
US Embassy New Zealand:
2011 Downtown Community Thanksgiving Lunch| Photos from the annual American Thanksgiving Lunch held in conjunction with the Downtown Community Ministry and the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Chef's Association at the Wesley Church Hall.
US Embassy Thailand:
Thanksgiving Lunch at Ambassador Kristie Kenney's | Photos of the Thanksgiving lunch at the Ambassador's residence garnered the following comment on Facebook: "Would have been nice if the Ambassador and folks at the Embassy invited long term USA residents of Bangkok, who lost everything in the floods to dinner as well. Very crass of Excellency Kenney to celebrate with the "haves" while the "have nots" suffer. It is not going to be a very thankful holiday this year for some of us." To which Ambassador Kenney quickly responded: "No tax dollars used. This was my personal thanks to Embassy staffers for great work despite being flood victims themselves." On Thanksgiving Day, Ambassador Kenney also hosted fifty US military (army, navy, air force and marines) for dinner. They are all in Thailand to help with flood recovery efforts.
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| Photo from US Embassy Bangkok/FB |
US Embassy El Salvador
Thanksgiving Day arrived with Occupy El Salvador protesting at the U.S. Embassy San Salvador "in solidarity with the 99% Global Occupy Movement." More here.
US Embassy Belgium
Ambassador Gutman invited American sportsmen and women to his residence for a Thanksgiving do.
U.S. Embassy Malaysia
Thanksgiving lunch for more than 300 staff and family members of the U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur. Turkey, pie, mashed and sweet potaties, corns and peas ... mmmmmm. Thanksgiving Day will have an extended run in Malaysia this year as the embassy will have a PUMPKIN PIE EXTRAVAGANZA open to the public next week with U.S. Embassy Officer Nelson Wu and other embassy staff!
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| Photo from US Embassy KL/FB |
The big news, of course, on Thanksgiving Scaredy was non-halal turkeys "for Americans who still value their freedoms." Below an excerpt from Crossroads Arabia (a blog by a retired FSO):
“It seems that Butterball’s best practices also permit it to produce turkeys that meet the requirements for halal food. That is, its whole turkeys are deemed permissible for Muslims to eat.
This, apparently, has caused Islamophobe Pam Gellar to go berserk. She somehow sees the fact that Butterball turkeys are halal as a stealth attempt to convert Americans to Islam. I won’t – on principle – link to Gellar’s writing, but here’s an indirect link through Outside the Beltway. Yes, she’s as nuts as that post makes her seem.
Gellar has some really strange beliefs, quite laughable ones.
She appears to believe that if one eats a halal turkey, one mysteriously becomes a Muslim. Or gets tugged toward Islam. Or something. If this is true, it creates an interesting situation…
If I were to become Muslim by eating a halal turkey, then it logically follows that I would become Jewish by eating a Kosher pickle or hotdog. What would happen if I ate both at the same meal? Would I explode? Would I suddenly become Palestine, at war with myself?”
Which led us to this most disturbing image of a suicide turkey ever. And Thanksgiving will never be the same again after this stealth infiltration.
Monday, November 21, 2011
No Superrappin for U.S. Hip-Hop Envoys in Lahore
So last week, the Chicago-based FEW Collective was briefly detained in Pakistan after one of the performers was alleged to have taken "sensitive photographs in the garrison city of Rawalpindi." The US Embassy in Islamabad stresses that "The performer was not aware of restrictions placed on photography in or near the cantonment, and had no intention of taking photographs of sensitive Pakistani government or military installations."
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| As part of U.S. Embassy's cultural exchange programs, F.E.W. Collective came to Pakistan to share their dancing and singing talents with the world. Photo from US Embassy Islamabad/Flickr |
Today, the group was barred from performing at a state-run hall in Lahore for "security reasons." Reports citing the local arts council director, Zulfikar Ali indicate that the scheduled performance had to be cancelled after "the local Al-Hamra Arts Council refused permission over its alleged failure to provide a no objection certificate (NOC) from the provincial home office."
MSN India reports that Lahore Arts Council's executive director Muhammad Ali Baloch says that "the band was not allowed to perform as it failed to provide a "no-objection certificate" issued by the Home Department of Punjab province."
"We had requested the US Consulate in Lahore to provide the NOC but it didn''t give us the same," Baloch told reporters. He said the NOC was a "mandatory legal requirement" for holding such a concert.
This was apparently contradicted by the US Consulate General spokesman Leslie Goodman who told journalists that "all necessary documents had been provided to the Lahore Arts Council but its management did not allow the band to go ahead with its concert."
US ConGen Lahore posted the following message on its Facebook page:
Sorry fans, due to circumstances beyond our control, the venue decided it could not host the American hip hop performance tonight. We regret the inconvenience the cancellation has caused to you.
The group's next stop is Karachi.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
After 18 Yrs in Kazakhstan, Peace Corps Will Reportedly Suspend Operations Due to Safety Issues
The Peace Corps will reportedly leave Kazakhstan soon, with all
volunteers pulled out of the country and the local staff disbanded. Unconfirmed reports
indicate that this decision is due largely "to growing safety issues,
including terrorism and what has become the highest sexual
assault/rape level among PC countries worldwide."
Here is a quick background of the Peace Corps operation in Kazakhstan, the ninth largest country in the world, a country nearly four times the size of Texas and one of the United States favored partners in Central Asia.
Over 1,176 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in Kazakhstan since the program was established in 1993. Currently, 126 Volunteers are serving in Kazakhstan. Volunteers in this Central Asian nation work in the areas of education, organization and community development, HIV/AIDS with support from the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program, and youth development. English education Volunteers teach Kazakhstani students and also introduce local teachers to new methodologies through innovative team-teaching techniques. Organization and community development Volunteers help increase the capacity and technical skills of local community and non-governmental organizations; and youth development Volunteers teach work skills, healthy lifestyles and leadership to Kazakhstani youth. Volunteers are trained and work in Kazakh and Russian.According to the State Department, the United States provided roughly $1.205 billion in technical assistance and investment support in the country between 1992 and 2005.
A PCV who blogs in Adventures in Kazakhstan writes:
"Yes Kazakhstan does currently rank number 1 among all Peace Corps for incidents of rape or sexual assault. Again, the extent to which this affected the decision to remove volunteers is unknown. I do not believe that Kazakhstan is an overly dangerous country. I have never truly felt threatened or unsafe. %90 percent of my experience has been positive, and the people here have ultimately expressed nothing but warmness, kindness, and hospitality. That being said, we did unfortunately have 4 (that I know of) incidents of rape/sexual assault within a 1-year period. While incidents do happen in every PC country, I think it is very rare to have this many incidents occur in such close proximity."I don't know if one of those four incidents is this one which made it to the local papers on November 11, 2011. Or if this case is the fifth. See Peace Corps volunteer sexually abused in Karaganda oblast.
On Nov 2, the US Embassy in Astana released the following Emergency Message for U.S. citizens:
"In light of the explosions in Atyrau on October 31, 2011, the U.S. Mission encourages U.S. Citizens in Kazakhstan to review the most recent Worldwide Caution (see below). We urge U.S. citizens to exercise vigilance and to take measures for their own safety and security at all times. These measures include paying attention to surrounding circumstances and events, avoiding crowds, and keeping a low profile."I've just reviewed Kazakhstan 2011 OSAC Crime and Safety Report: Astana, a report prepared annually by the U.S. Embassy. There is no mention of rape anywhere.
Email inquiries to both the US Embassy Astana and the Peace Corps office in Kazakhstan requesting confirmation for the suspension of operation have yet to receive a response.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
ConGen Quebec: CG Peter O'Donohue Visits Nunavut
Do you know where Nunavut is? I didn't. I had to look up the place. It turns out Nunavut comprises a major portion of Northern Canada, and most of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. It is both the least populous and the largest in geography of the provinces and territories of Canada. One of the most remote, sparsely settled regions in the world, it has an estimated population of over 33,000, mostly Inuit, spread over an area the size of Western Europe.
Well, our Consul General in Quebec checked out Nunavut in September. It looks beautiful and brrrr ...... Photos below from post's photostream on Flickr:
Via ConGen Quebec:
CG Peter O'Donohue and his wife Mary Linklater recently met with the Premier of Nunavut Eva Aariak at her Iqaluit office. They traveled to the Arctic Territory of Nunavut September 23 to 30, paying official calls in the capital of Iqaluit and also visiting the Baffin Island communities of Pangnirtung and Pond Inlet. Several hundred people attended the Nunavut Trade Show where a wide range of exhibits showcased the territory's vast potential in the areas of minerals, oil and gas, fisheries, tourism, infrastructure and communications. Opportunities to do business in the territory are tremendous given its extremely rich potential in iron-ore, gold, diamonds, and many other rare minerals.
During stops in Pangnirtung and Pond Inlet, CG met with a wide variety of local officials, entrepreneurs, school administrators, workers, managers of a world renowned art workshop and a fish processing plant. Both hamlets are sited in extraordinary beautiful landscapes and each serves as a Parks Canada headquarters for an adjacent wilderness park (the Auyuittuq Park in Pangnirtung and the Sirmilik Park in Pond Inlet). As if on cue, a pod of five rare bowhead whales appeared in the Pangnirtung fjord during their visit.
CG Peter O'Donohue and his wife Mary Linklater recently met with the Premier of Nunavut Eva Aariak at her Iqaluit office. They traveled to the Arctic Territory of Nunavut September 23 to 30, paying official calls in the capital of Iqaluit and also visiting the Baffin Island communities of Pangnirtung and Pond Inlet. Several hundred people attended the Nunavut Trade Show where a wide range of exhibits showcased the territory's vast potential in the areas of minerals, oil and gas, fisheries, tourism, infrastructure and communications. Opportunities to do business in the territory are tremendous given its extremely rich potential in iron-ore, gold, diamonds, and many other rare minerals.
During stops in Pangnirtung and Pond Inlet, CG met with a wide variety of local officials, entrepreneurs, school administrators, workers, managers of a world renowned art workshop and a fish processing plant. Both hamlets are sited in extraordinary beautiful landscapes and each serves as a Parks Canada headquarters for an adjacent wilderness park (the Auyuittuq Park in Pangnirtung and the Sirmilik Park in Pond Inlet). As if on cue, a pod of five rare bowhead whales appeared in the Pangnirtung fjord during their visit.
Photo of the Day: Where can I buy a key chain for this?
From US Embassy Pakistan via Flickr:
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| NAS Vehicle Handover |
This is supposedly a handover; can't say from looking at the photo who's giving what to whom. He's holding the gigantic key with two hands, maybe he is giving it to her? And she seems happy to receive the key with one hand, or is she giving it to him? What vehicle has a key as huge as that? We're still thinking what this means but we'd like to know where one can buy a key chain for this.
Simple lesson here - if you bother to take a picture, and bother to upload it online, please bother to put some caption.
Simple lesson here - if you bother to take a picture, and bother to upload it online, please bother to put some caption.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Secretary Clinton Visits Kabul: October 20, 2011
Via US Embassy Kabul/Flickr:
"U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton met with Afghan civil society leaders at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul on October 20, 2011 to discuss the U.S. long term commitment to Afghan, the Strategic Partnership negotiations, and issues of transition in the run up to meetings in Istanbul and Bonn. The guests included human rights activists, particularly in the area of youth, women and minorities as well as advocates for the development of civil society and the education sector in Afghanistan."
The good news with these photos - we don't have to task our imagination for appropriate caption for each.
"U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton met with Afghan civil society leaders at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul on October 20, 2011 to discuss the U.S. long term commitment to Afghan, the Strategic Partnership negotiations, and issues of transition in the run up to meetings in Istanbul and Bonn. The guests included human rights activists, particularly in the area of youth, women and minorities as well as advocates for the development of civil society and the education sector in Afghanistan."
The good news with these photos - we don't have to task our imagination for appropriate caption for each.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Photo of the Day: If this is over $50, I'll have to file a gift report
The photo below is from the photostream of the U.S. Embassy Kabul in Flickr. I don't know how many folks have their hands on the embassy's social media platforms. But for a while now, the photos uploaded to Flickr either have no captions or includes one caption for all the photos in the set. Which kind of defeats the purpose of having a photo gallery up, because viewers need to have some context on what they're looking at.
The photo below, as well as all the 67 photos included in the set has the following caption:
The Acting Minister of Higher Education Sarwar Danish, together with NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy Kolinda Grabar and U.S. Embassy Director of Communications and Public Diplomacy Eileen O'Connor, joined university chancellors and others at the Ministry of Higher Education in Kabul to celebrate the progress of the PAS-funded NATO SILK Afghanistan Program on Tuesday, Oct 11, 2011.(Department of State)
It does not matter that NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy Kolinda Grabar is not in this photo. You get the idea; these folks were all there according to the caption. During a big do on Silk Afghanistan. I have no idea if this is a dressmaker's program or a silkworm propagation program either, hard to know without context, see? The Silk Road? I really don't know. Some 68 photos of smiling people but no photos of silk dressmakers or silkworm, or the Silk Road, for that matter, which is rather confusing to tell you the truth.
The photo above shows the U.S. Embassy Director of Communications and Public Diplomacy Eileen O'Connor receiving a gift. I imagine she's saying, "Thank you very much for this gift; if this is over $50, I'll have to file a gift report."
Of course, that's probably not what she said to the gifter, but without context, we're left to our own imagination.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
US Embassy Libya Reopens With Ambassador Cretz
Our man in Tripoli who became our first ambassador to Libya in 36 years in 2008, who departed Libya before the revolution reportedly due to WikiLeaks, has recently returned to that country. With an official flag-raising ceremony at the U.S. Embassy compound in Tripoli on September 22, 2011, the U.S. Embassy-in-exile left its makeshift office on the Potomac and returned to its home on the edge of the desert.
We previously noted that Joan Polaschik, the deputy chief of mission who ran the embassy after Ambassador Cretz left the country in 2010, and who led the evacuation of personnel/American citizens earlier this year, returned earlier to Tripoli with a small team the week of September 9.
We previously noted that Joan Polaschik, the deputy chief of mission who ran the embassy after Ambassador Cretz left the country in 2010, and who led the evacuation of personnel/American citizens earlier this year, returned earlier to Tripoli with a small team the week of September 9.
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| U.S. Ambassador to Libya Gene A. Cretz stands at the podium
during a flag raising ceremony for the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, Libya, on September 22, 2011. [State Department photo/ Public Domain] |
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Around the Foreign Service -- 9/11 Commemorations
US Embassy Kabul, Afghanistan
Commemoration of 9/11 Anniversary 2011.09.11
US Embassy Islamabad, Pakistan
Flowers at base of flagpole during commemorative ceremony on eve of 10th anniversary of 9/11.
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| Photo from US Embassy Islamabad |
US Embassy Manila, Philippines
A display of flags and a list commemorating those people of Australia, Canada, the UK, Japan, and Korea, who lost their citizens during the 9/11 attacks.
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| Photo from US Embassy Manila |
US Consulate General Vancouver, Canada
U.S. Consul General Anne Callaghan was on hand to commemorate the event. She thanked service personnel from both sides of the border and recalled the remarkable support and assistance that Canadians offered the United States on and after September 11, 2001.
US Embassy London, United Kingdom
Britain's Prince Charles (R) and Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla arrive to greet, Prime Minister David Cameron and U.S. Ambassador Louis Susman Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg Mayor of London Boris Johnson and leader of the opposition Labour party David Miliband as they attend the tenth anniversary ceremony to commemorate the attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York at the memorial near to the U.S. Embassy in London September 11, 2011. (Photos here by Luke MacGregor Reuters).
US Embassy Beijing, China
Ambassador Gary Locke participates in a wreath-laying ceremony on September 9, Friday, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
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| Photo from US Embassy Beijing |
US Embassy Beirut, Lebanon
On September 9, 2011, the American and Lebanese staff at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut gathered to commemorate the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001, and to honor the victims of the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the high-jacked planes. The Embassy community was joined by the families of Lebanese victims of the attacks.
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| Photo from US Embassy Beirut |
US Embassy Paris, France
President Nicolas Sarkozy and U.S. Ambassador to France, Charles Rivkin lay a wreath to pay tribute to the victims of the 9/11 attacks, Sept. 9, 2011.
US Embassy Bangkok, Thailand:
Where were you when the world stopped turning? Via Ambassador Kristie Kenney's blog:
This is my September 11, 2001. It was a lovely early autumn day in Washigton DC. Bright sun, warm but not hot. I was listening to a lecture by a noted academic at the State Department training center as we heard a terrible crash. I thought perhaps a serious construction accident or a building collapse. Soon after, we were all told to evacuate the building and head home. As I headed out, I passed a hallway TV showing scenes of the first plane to hit the Twin Towers. I started to run. The car radio had more information. A plane crashed into the Pentagon. A second plane into the Twin Towers. We then lived very near the Pentagon so as I got closer, I saw the smoke pouring out of the Pentagon. Sirens filled the air. Roads were blocked and I had to prove to the police that I did indeed live just a few blocks away to be allowed to drive on to my house. Neighbors were standing in the street — weeping. But I wasn’t yet sad. I was incredulous. How could anyone destroy so many lives? It defied belief. Once home the phone was ringing. My late father-in-law calling from West Texas to ask if we were okay. A decorated World War II career Army officer, he was normally crisp and composed. His voice on the phone was filled with fear. “Where is Bill? Did he have meetings at the Pentagon today?” I didn’t know. As usual, we had both dashed out the door, talking more about what time we’d be home that evening rather than exactly what each of us was doing that day. I promised to call as soon as I knew. Moments later, Bill literally ran in the door. Traffic was so jammed that Bill parked his car, put on his jogging clothes, and ran the five miles from the State Department to our house. We spent the rest of the day glued to the television. By nightfall, we were filled with sadness, knowing that thousands were dead, citizens from dozens of nations. Every September 11 since then, I get a lump in my throat when the film is shown of that day. But after ten years, I am determined that starting this year, I will remember instead the acts of heroism and compassion that characterized September 11. That I will remember with pride those who rescued victims, those who lost their lives diverting another plane that would have targeted Washington DC, the compassion of volunteers, and that feeling of immense unity we felt around the globe. I will not forget the lives lost but from now on when I think of September 11, I will remember heroism, compassion and unity.US Embassy Wellington, New Zealand
Via Ambassador David Huebner's blog: ... [A]t St Andrew’s Church in New Plymouth. Led by my friend the Reverend Kim Francis, the memorial drew more than 500 Kiwis, Americans, Irish, and others to pray, sing, remember, and show solidarity. Our Marine Band joined St Andrew’s choir to provide music. I was joined at the front of the congregation by the entire USA Eagles team and other special friends including Mayor Harry Duynhoven and the Mayoress, MP Jonathan Young, and my colleagues Ambassador Frankie Reed, Special Representative Reta Jo Lewis, and ANP Desk Officer Michele Petersen.
Friday, September 2, 2011
US Mission Afghanistan: CODEL Casey 08.28-29.2011
Deputy Ambassador James Cunningham and U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CN) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) meet with Afghan Parliamentarians and Civil Society at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday, August 28, 2011. Photos below from US Embassy Kabul via Flickr:
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
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