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ACCOUNTABILITY AND ACCEPTANCE OF RISK
Accountability
Examples in which a known mechanism and procedure exist to deal with systemic or individual failures resulting in loss of life or property damage indicate the desirability of such defined procedures. In the law-enforcement community, the armed forces, and such institutions as the National Transportation Safety Board, clear-cut established procedures are helpful in permitting a fair, orderly, expeditious analysis of the facts and circumstances.
On an interim basis, the Panel recommended that Foreign Service Regulations be promulgated to require the Secretary of State to convene a Board of Inquiry with powers of establishing accountability in all cases involving terrorism or security related attacks that result in significant damage and/or casualties to United States personnel or property..
The Panel is pleased to note that the Secretary of State accepted that recommendation.
However, on further consideration, the Panel believes this issue to be of sufficient importance that a statutory basis for accountability should be considered. The Panel, therefore, has included in its report to the Secretary a draft bill that combines the grievance procedure with the accountability requirement in such a way as to protect the individual while serving the Department's broader interests.
Acceptance of Risk
The Department of State has developed programs designed to inform all personnel about the hazards posed by terrorism and other forms of physical violence, including criminal activities, and to train them in ways to protect themselves. From the recruiting brochure, which makes passing reference to the fact that Overseas service may involve security risks to personnel and their families to a full day orientation program devoted solely to security considerations, continual efforts are made to prepare personnel for the hazards they may face abroad. In addition, security concerns, guidelines for personal awareness and conduct, contingency planning and similar matters are discussed in some detail where appropriate in the many training courses offered by the Department's Foreign Service Institute. These include orientation and training programs for Chiefs of Mission, for Deputy Chiefs of Mission, for Administrative Officers, the Basic and Mid-Level Officer training courses, emergency action simulations, and a variety of orientation programs.
The results so far, however, seem to be mixed. While most personnel take the situation seriously and conduct themselves accordingly, there is reason to believe some seem to think "It can't happen to me". Too many employees assigned abroad, aware that political violence is endemic in some parts of the world, seem to disregard it as a personal hazard, especially if they are not posted to one of the crisis areas.
The Panel recognizes that it is extremely difficult to inspire and to sustain a high degree of security awareness and sensitivity, particularly when most of us are seldom if ever directly exposed to violence. Yet, in view of the increasing incidence of terrorism and, more significantly, the increasingly grave impact of such events on our foreign policy objectives, the Department must increase its efforts to sensitize all personnel to this problem. Recruitment literature, for example, such as the brochure, Foreign Service Careers, should include a more graphic description of the hazards of political violence to our personnel abroad and of the significant additional responsibilities and stresses this places on them.
Orientation of Personnel
The Department of State's Foreign Service Institute offers a one day seminar on "Coping with Violence". The program is mandatory for all employees of the Department of State, the Agency for International Development and the United States Information Agency. It is also open on a voluntary basis to their dependents as well as to employees and dependents of other agencies. Some spouses and adult dependents not resident in the Washington, D.C., area do not benefit from this program, however. The spouses of the Regional Marine Officers, the Marine Non-Commissioned Officers-in-Charge and the Navy Seabees, for example, do not always travel to this area for training. Given the importance of the matter, the Department should arrange to offer the Coping with Violence seminar and appropriate area orientation to all such dependents and at Departmental expense.
The program in Washington is but one part of a series of presentations on this general subject, the second major part being a "post-specific" orientation given all personnel after their arrival at post. As noted above, the subject is also covered in somewhat lesser detail in various other training and orientation programs but these two are the principal vehicles for this particular training.
Recent observation of the Washington portion of the program found it to be generally well presented and well received. The audience came away better prepared for the hazards of various forms of violence, including terrorism, which they and their families may experience abroad. There were a few minor gaps in the presentation and the observer's comments were passed on to the Foreign Service Institute and to the Office of Security.
The Washington portion of this training should be expanded at least by an additional half day. Further, the Panel recommends that all U.S. Government employees being assigned to diplomatic missions abroad and their adult dependents be required to attend, unless their own agencies offer comparable programs. It is also recommended that personnel destined for high threat posts be offered the Hands on. training in firearms and evasive driving that was given in the past. Finally, all personnel involved in this program as instructors should be given appropriate training in instructional techniques.
Psychological Preparation
The Panel believes that the Department should provide the Foreign Service an adequate level of psychological preparation for overseas situations.
The Office of the Medical Adviser has a small staff of psychiatrists, including a few assigned abroad on a regional basis. They are available for a variety of professional functions, including counseling those who have experienced terrorist violence. They could provide an essential preventive service as well but are woefully few in number. They constitute a superb reservoir of skill, knowledge, experience and credibility that is quite able to play a major role in preparing the Foreign Service to cope with terrorist violence. The trouble is there are not enough of theme
Acceptance of Risk by Foreign Service National Employees
As a group the members of the Foreign Service, Americans as well as foreign national employees at our missions abroad, have demonstrated uncommon courage in serving this nation's interests in spite of increasing personal hazard. The Federal Government provides supplementary benefits to compensate American personnel, at least in part, for medical and other personal costs incident to violence directed against them by virtue of their employment. A major gap, however, is that such benefits are not now available to our Foreign Service National employees, except as the Secretary may waive regulatory restrictions or otherwise provide a measure of recompense. The Panel recommends strong support for pending legislation (H.R. 2019) to correct this deficiency.
Training of Post Security Officers
The training of "non-professional" security officers, the post Security Officers assigned to those posts which, for what ever reason, do not have a Regional Security Officer, is a matter of some concern. Even though these posts more often than not are rather small, at least some have significant security problems, many have Marine Security Guard detachments, and most have some of the increasingly sophisticated and complex security equipment the Department of State is now using. The Panel understands that, although the security training for these officers had been only two hours, it has recently been expanded to five hours. Moreover, the Mobile Training Teams that will be sent abroad in the near future will include specialized training for Post Security Officers as well as for others having security responsibilities.
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