James Bruce Amstutz (July 11, 1928 – March 16, 2021)[1][2] was an American Career Foreign Service Officer who served asChargé d’Affaires ad interim toAfghanistan from February 1979 until February 1980.[3]
Amstutz was born on July 11, 1928.[citation needed] He was Deputy Chief of Mission when AmbassadorAdolph "Spike" Dubs was kidnapped and murdered.[4][5] Amstutz became Chargé and sought out by the head of the Afghan Communist regime,Hafizullah Amin. They had met four times for a total of under 20 minutes, mostly for ceremonial events. In October 1979, Amstutz was going on a six weeks leave and had various concerns including telling Washington that “the Afghan Communists as ‘a bunch of scorpions biting each other to death’” and that Amin had “a semi-psychopathic desire to humiliate and revenge himself against the United States.” So Amstutz recommended a delay by himself and the new Deputy Chief of MissionArcher Blood.[6] Amstutz was married to Nan Louise Grindle, whom he met while they both attended theFletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. They became the first couple to simultaneously receive Ph.D. degrees from the institution.[7] Amstutz died inAlna, Maine on March 16, 2021, at the age of 92.[8]
| Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary (1935–1948) |
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| Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (1948–1979) | ||
| Chargés d'affaires (1979–1989) | ||
The embassy was closed from January 30, 1989, to January 17, 2002; the liaison office reopened on December 17, 2001. | ||
| Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (2001–2021) |
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The embassy transferred operations to Qatar on August 31, 2021. | ||
| Chargés d'affaires (2021–present) | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
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