Ahmad Siddiqi

I strongly recommend Ahmad Khalid Siddiqi for a position of high trust and responsibility. He is a person of great integrity, intelligence, and effectiveness. In 2009, I recruited Mr. Siddiqi to work as my Political Advisor at the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), where I served as Director. The PRT was a U.S. Military forward operating base located in a remote area of Afghanistan. Our mission was to assist the Afghan government with improving its governance and services to the people of Panjshir, and to ally with us against the Taliban and other violent extremists.

Before Mr. Siddiqi joined the team, we were reliant on interpreters from outside the province who possessed only a rudimentary understanding of Panjshir’s key leaders and politics. Mr. Siddiqi brought a sophisticated political understanding and local knowledge that greatly increased the effectiveness of our PRT. When the long-time Governor was fired and replaced by a corrupt new Governor from a rival political faction, Mr. Siddiqi helped me and my U.S. Military counterparts navigate the transition, discourage violence among Afghan actors, and keep our PRT personnel safe. I am proud to say we did not lose a single U.S. civilian, soldier, sailor or airman during my time in Panjshir. Mr. Siddiqi deserves credit for contributing to that outcome and protecting U.S. lives.

Following my departure from Panjshir, and the closure of the PRT, I assisted Mr. Siddiqi in continuing his service to the U.S. Government, first at Bagram Air Field and then at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, where he worked in the Protocol Office. By all accounts, Mr. Siddiqi was a highly productive and valued member of the U.S. Embassy team, and provided strong support to the Ambassador and other leadership. As Director for Afghanistan Affairs in Washington from 2010-2013, I traveled frequently to Afghanistan and Mr. Siddiqi regularly supported my official meetings across the city. In 2018 I returned to Afghanistan for an additional year at the Embassy and benefited once again from Mr. Siddiqi's astute political advice.

Ahmad Khalid Siddiqi has provided an extraordinary level of service to the United States over the years, contributing significantly to U.S. goals in Afghanistan and impressing all those who have worked with him. His faithful and valuable service to our country is beyond question. I trusted him with my life in Afghanistan and I recommend him to you without reservation. You will find him to be an exceptionally hard working and resourceful employee who will strengthen whatever organization he joins.

Jim DeHart
U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C.
dehartjp@state.gov

Having worked with Ahmad Siddiqi and Jim DeHart in Afghanistan, I second the wonderful - and accurate - recommendation written by Jim DeHart, who was his direct supervisor. The Panjshir PRT team, which included Ahmad Siddiqi and Jim DeHart, reported to me, based at the time at Bagram Air Field. So, adding to Jim DeHart's recommendation, I will note that Ahmad Siddiqi did a superb job keeping us all well-informed, despite our geographically dispersed configuration. In addition to his sharp analytical skills, he has exceptional interpersonal skills. It is an honor to recommend someone of such talent and I am happy to follow up with any potential employer or recruiter.

Ahmad Siddiqi worked under my direct supervision in the Central Region Office of the United Nations Assistance Office in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in Kabul. Mr. Siddiqi has been engaged in capacity building and mentoring for the governance institutions at provincial level: governors, provincial councils, political parties, and parliamentarians from the Central Region. He also worked closely with the civil society and Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) of Kabul, Kapisa, Logar, Panjshir, Parwan, and Wardak Provinces.

Ahmad Siddiqi showed a sound knowledge of the political landscape of Afghanistan and analytical skills; he was also a skilled and diligent translator. He was a motivated and professional employee, exhibiting the capacity to work in challenging conditions and proved to be a good team player. I am confident that Mr. Siddiqi would be a great asset to any professional team and I highly recommend him for future employment with international and national organisations.

I had the privilege of working closely with Ahmad (Khalid) Siddiqi closely from 2010-2011 in Panjshir Province in northeastern Afghanistan. Khalid was my political assistant during my assignment as the State Department director of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Panjshir. His political and economic knowledge as well as his English was outstanding but what made him indispensable was his ability to work well with everyone, his excellent judgment, his resourcefulness, his ability to get the job done — even in challenging circumstances — and his unfailing good humor. He would be a fantastic asset to any organization.

Bill Martin
U.S. State Department
Director of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Panjishir