FOREIGN OFFICE STAFF RECOGNISED IN AFGHANISTAN HONOURS LIST

29 Oct 2002 04:00 AM

A number of staff at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are included in today's Afghanistan Honours List. This special list has been approved by Her Majesty The Queen and recognises the efforts of individuals committed to bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan.

Welcoming the awards, Sir Michael Jay, Permanent Under-Secretary and Head of the Diplomatic Service said:

"I am delighted that the efforts of these individuals have been recognised in this way. Those honoured have been fully committed to the future of Afghanistan as a proud and free democratic nation, one that has thrown off the shackles of the Taliban and the occupying forces of Al-Qa'ida.

"I add my congratulations to the members of staff honoured today. Their awards are richly deserved. Whether working in London, Kabul, elsewhere in the region or further afield, all those recognised made a vital contribution in the most difficult and demanding of circumstances. Despite these, they were unstinting in their efforts. By their deeds, they typified Britain's commitment to the people of Afghanistan. They also showed the Foreign Office at its best.

"Nonetheless, I know that those honoured would agree that they represent the tip of the iceberg of those in the Foreign Office working for a better Afghanistan. As the Prime Minister has made clear, the job in Afghanistan is certainly not done. The people of Afghanistan are slowly returning to some sort of normality, but we will stay there and make sure that the job is done properly."

NOTES FOR EDITORS

FCO staff receiving awards are:

KCMG
Hilary Nicholas Hugh SYNNOTT High Commissioner, Pakistan

CMG
Stephen Nicholas EVANS Charge, Kabul
Christopher John INGHAM Ambassador, Tashkent James Sebastian Lamin WOOD Counsellor, Washington

CBE
Paul BERGNE Counsellor (Retired), FCO James POSTON Senior Management, FCO

OBE
James Nicholas Geoffrey BOWDEN DHM, Kabul/FCO
Stephen John Alan BROOKING 1st Sec, Kabul/FCO
Nicholas CANNON 1st Sec, Islamabad
Martin Hugh CLEMENTS Senior Management, Kabul/FCO William ELLIOTT 1st Sec, Kabul/FCO
Iain Ferrier LINDSAY 1st Sec, FCO
Sian Christina MACLEOD 1st Sec, FCO
William John Clovis MEATH-BAKER Senior Management, Kabul/FCO Stuart Richard MORLEY 1st Sec, FCO
Philip Seamus TUCKER 1st Sec, FCO

MBE
Adam RADCLIFFE 3rd Sec, Kabul
Alexander Franklin BROWN 2nd Sec, Muscat
Colin Michael HICKS 3rd Sec, Islamabad
Mrs Deirdre Rebecca BROWN 2nd Sec, FCO
Miss Julie Anne BENBRIKA Support Officer, FCO Miss Sharon Gail DOBSON 1st Sec, FCO
Gerard Simon Joseph RUSSELL 1st Sec, FCO
David Charles Stewart FITCHETT 3rd Sec, Islamabad
Miss Diane LAIDLAW 3rd Sec, FCO
Mrs Anne Stewart Murray MARRIOTT 2nd Sec, FCO

1. The FCO list comprises staff working in London, Islamabad, Kabul, Tashkent, Washington and Muscat.

- In the immediate aftermath of 11 September, Islamabad was in the front line of the diplomatic offensive against the Taliban in Afghanistan. Adding to the pressure, the conditions of work were seriously affected by the security situation in Pakistan.

- The first staff to return to Kabul to reopen the embassy there endured the most spartan of conditions in a highly volatile security environment. They quickly established close relations with the Afghan Interim Administration, with the UN and with other Coalition members. Their role was crucial in furthering Britain's efforts to promote a broad-based administration in Afghanistan and to stabilise the security situation with the help of ISAF.

- The events of Sept 11 catapulted Tashkent (Uzbekistan) to front-line status given its regional significance. It was a vital supply route for humanitarian aid into northern Afghanistan.

- The British Embassy in Washington was the major working link with the US National Security Council, the central coordinating body of the US Administration throughout the crisis. The Embassy succeeded in maintaining close UK/US cooperation, vital to the success of our action in Afghanistan.

- Oman became a central link with military and diplomatic activity in Afghanistan. The Embassy in Muscat was a key part of operations in assisting personnel transitting Oman to Kabul and Bagram which, at the height of activity, was a daily need.

- Staff in London worked around the clock during the Afghanistan crisis in the FCO's Emergency Unit, set up to monitor the situation and provide ministers and senior officials with regular briefings and advice. The Coalition Information Centre was established to tackle Taliban propaganda and ensure that the Coalition's side of the story was heard loud and clear across the globe. Another development was the creation of a unit specifically tasked with improving the presentation of British policy on terrorism and Afghanistan to the public in Islamic countries, a key audience in the war on terror.

- Underpinning all this activity was the provision of staffing and logistical support. Following the attacks of 11 September, the staffing and logistical demands were the largest and most urgent the Foreign Office had ever faced. This work is also recognised in the honours list.