American embassy staff still vulnerable targets
Jun 15, 2006 12:30 PM, By Paul Rothman
U.S. government officials working overseas remain at risk from terrorist threats, according to a recent article by Jim Kouri, CPP, vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police.
Since 1968, 32 embassy officials have been attacked -- 23 fatally -- by terrorists outside the embassy. As the State Department continues to improve security at U.S. embassies, terrorist groups are likely to focus on "soft" targets -- such as homes, schools, and places of worship.
The Government Accounting Office was asked to determine whether the State Department has a strategy for soft target protection; assess State's efforts to protect U.S. officials and their families while traveling to and from work; assess State's efforts overseas to improve security at schools attended by the children of U.S. officials; and describe issues related to protection at their residences.
The Department has a number of programs and activities designed to protect U.S. officials and their families outside the embassy, including security briefings, protection at schools and residences and surveillance detection.
However, Kouri says in a Sierra Times article, the Department of State has not developed a comprehensive strategy that clearly identifies safety and security requirements and resources needed to protect U.S. officials and their families abroad from terrorist threats outside the embassy.
Officials indicate they have recently initiated an effort to develop a soft targets strategy. As part of this effort, State Department officials add that they will need to address and resolve a number of legal and financial issues.
Three State-initiated investigations into terrorist attacks against U.S. officials outside of embassies found that the officials lacked the necessary hands-on training to help counter the attack. The investigations recommended that State provide hands-on counterterrorism training and implement accountability measures to ensure compliance with personal security procedures.
After each of these investigations, State reported to Congress that it planned to implement the recommendations, yet the GAO found that State's hands-on training course is not required, the accountability procedures have not been effectively implemented, and key embassy officials are not trained to implement State's counterterrorism procedures.
State instituted a program in 2003 to improve security at schools for embassy employees' children, but its scope has not yet been fully determined. In fiscal years 2003 and 2004, Congress earmarked $29.8 million for State to address security vulnerabilities against soft targets, particularly at overseas schools.
State's program to protect U.S. officials and their families at their residences is primarily designed to deter crime, not terrorism, Kouri says. The Residential Security program includes basic security hardware and local guards, which State officials said provide effective deterrence against crime, though only limited deterrence against a terrorist attack. To provide greater protection against terrorist attacks, some posts that security inspectors visited used surveillance detection teams in residential areas.
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