Afghanistan’s embassy in Washington, D.C. is like a metaphor for the country

One of the plants in the big urns that flank the front door of the Afghan embassy in Washington, D.C. is dead. The black, red and green flag of the Republic of Afghanistan is subdued; the nearly 100-year-old building in the American capital’s pricey Kalorama district needs a good clean.

The Afghan embassy in Washington, D.C. is like a metaphor for part of the country it once represented. The Taliban’s black and white banner is nowhere to be seen. The “embassy” is not really an embassy at all, any more; it’s a house occupied by men who were once accredited diplomats.

The Afghan embassy in Washington, D.C. All photos by Rashmee Roshan Lall