US takes control of Afghan embassy, consulates in NY, CA

By MATTHEW LEE
AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has taken control of Afghanistan’s embassy in Washington and the country’s consulates in New York and California. The State Department says it had assumed “sole responsibility” for the security and maintenance of the diplomatic missions effective on Monday and will bar anyone from entering them without its permission. The move came after the department said the embassy and consulates had “formally ceased conducting diplomatic and consular activities in the United States.” The U.S. does not recognize the new Taliban government in Afghanistan and does not have formal diplomatic relations with the country. The department said Afghanistan had not requested a third country to serve as a “protecting power” for its facilities or interests in the U.S.