Download or read book The History of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security of the Us Department of State written by Us Department of State and published by Createspace Independent Pub. This book was released on 2011-10-03 with total page 474 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Adolph Dubs was commuting from his residence to the U.S. Embassy in Kabul on February 14, 1979, when four men abducted him. A man dressed as a policeman stopped the Ambassador's car and said that he had orders to search it. Aiming a gun at the chauffeur's head, the “policeman” ordered the chauffeur to remain still while he and three men got into the car. At gunpoint, the chauffeur drove to the Kabul Hotel, arriving at about 8:50 a.m. The kidnappers ordered Dubs out of the car and took him to a second floor room. The chauffeur was instructed to go to the U.S. Embassy and inform the Americans of the situation. A large number of Afghan police, military, and fire department personnel quickly surrounded the hotel. Three Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) from the U.S. Embassy arrived, as did four Soviet officials. During the next four hours, U.S. Officials repeatedly urged Afghan officials to exercise restraint to ensure the Ambassador's safety. According to FSOs on site, the four Soviet officials held repeated discussions with Afghan authorities and appeared to serve as advisors. At 12:50 p.m. Afghan forces stormed the second-floor room, and Ambassador Dubs was killed during the ensuing gunfire.The abduction and death of Ambassador Dubs highlighted the importance of diplomatic security and prompted U.S. Department of State officials to reexamine the security measures that they had in place. The United States has always had some form of diplomatic security, yet the threats to U.S. diplomacy and the measures that the Department of State has employed to counter them have changed considerably over time. This history explores how diplomatic security at the Department of State has evolved from the American Revolution to the post- Cold War era.The Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) is the security and law enforcement arm of the U.S. Department of State. DS is a world leader in international investigations, threat analysis, cyber security, counterterrorism, security technology, and protection of people, property, and information.The Bureau of Diplomatic Security is responsible for providing a safe and secure environment for the conduct of U.S. foreign policy. Every diplomatic mission in the world operates under a security program designed and maintained by Diplomatic Security. In the United States, Diplomatic Security personnel protect the Secretary of State and high-ranking foreign dignitaries and officials visiting the United States, investigates passport and visa fraud, and conducts personnel security investigations. Operating from a global platform in 25 U.S. cities and 159 foreign countries, DS ensures that America can conduct diplomacy safely and securely. DS plays a vital role in protecting U.S. embassies and personnel overseas, securing critical information systems, investigating passport and visa fraud, and fighting the war on terror.

Download or read book Overseas Security written by Jess T. Ford (au) and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2005-09 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: U.S. government officials working overseas are at risk from terrorist threats. Since 1968, 32 embassy officials have been attacked -- 23 fatally -- by terrorists outside the embassy. As the State Dept. continues to improve security at U.S. embassies, terrorist groups are likely to focus on softÓ targets -- such as homes, schools, & places of worship. This report determines: whether the State Dept. has a strategy for soft target protection; assesses State's efforts to protect U.S. officials & their families while traveling to & from work; assesses State's efforts overseas to improve security at schools attended by the children of U.S. officials; & describe issues related to protection at their residences. Includes recommendations. Illustrations.

Download or read book Overseas security State Department has not fully implemented key measures to protect U S officials from terrorist attacks outside of embassies written by and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2005 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book History of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security of the United States Department of State Covering the Cold War Mccarthyism Spies Leaks Bugs Ambassador Dubs Killing and Moscow Embassy Bugging written by U. S. Department of State and published by . This book was released on 2018-05-17 with total page 459 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Diplomatic Security history, professionally researched and written by the State Department Historian's Office, is an authoritative reference source and an archival record of the many critical duties, milestone events, prominent personalities, and worldwide locations with which DS has been associated over the past century. The first comprehensive, detailed history ever prepared, it is dedicated to the men and women who have served the Bureau of Diplomatic Security and its predecessors - the Office of Security (SY) and the Office of the Chief Special Agent of the U.S. Department of State - from the inception in 1916 up to the present. Contents:PREFACE - DEFINING DIPLOMATIC SECURITY * INTRODUCTION - THE FOUNDATIONS OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY * CHAPTER 1 - SPECIAL AGENTS, SPECIAL THREATS * Creating the Office of the Chief Special Agent, 1914-1933 * CHAPTER 2 - THE VITAL FUNCTION * World War II and Diplomatic Security * CHAPTER 3 - CREATING A SECURITY OFFICE * Robert L. Bannerman and Cold War, 1945-1950 * CHAPTER 4 - McCARTHYISM AND COLD WAR * Diplomatic Security in the 1950s * CHAPTER 5 - SPIES, LEAKS, BUGS, AND DIPLOMATS * Diplomatic Security in the 1960s * CHAPTER 6 - THE GREAT TRANSFORMATION * Terrorism and Diplomatic Security, 1967-1978 * CHAPTER 7 - ACCELERATING TRANSFORMATION * Enhancing Security, 1979-1985 * CHAPTER 8 - ALL UNDER ONE ROOF * A Bureau for Diplomatic Security, 1986-1992 * CHAPTER 9 - A BLUEPRINT FOR SECURITY * DS, Terrorism, and the Post-Cold War World, 1992-2000 * EPILOGUE - NEW MILLENNIUM, NEW CHALLENGES, NEW RESPONSIBILITIES, 2001-2010 * CONCLUSION - A MONUMENTAL BUT ESSENTIAL TASK * APPENDIX * Statement by the White House on the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986: September 19, 1986 * Public Law 99-399: Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 [excerpt]This history focuses on how the Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) and each of its predecessors (the Office of Security, the Security Office, and the Office of the Chief Special Agent) emerged and changed over the course of nearly a century. The work also describes how and why several security-related functions became centralized into a security office. Until recently, the personnel and resources devoted to the Department's security office have been small in relation to the enormous task confronting the Department's security professionals. As a result, individuals figure prominently in this history and their contributions are highlighted when possible.Practices, procedures, and responsibilities often arise well before a bureaucracy designates a person or office to specialize in that task. Historians of cryptology have shown that rulers and diplomats used codes and ciphers in communications long before a national, city-state, or royal government devoted an entity or person exclusively to the creation of codes or the encryption / decryption of communications. Past generations of U.S. diplomats, including the first diplomat Benjamin Franklin, gave serious consideration to diplomatic security, yet, how they conceived the threats they faced and the countermeasures they devised were determined by the available technology and the milieu in which they lived. Some measures have changed so markedly that they now seem minimally related to security, yet the contribution of such "forgotten" measures to the history of diplomatic security is unmistakable. For example, from 1800 to 1916, Despatch Agents were the Department's foremost security personnel, but their work has changed significantly so that they are no longer viewed as security personnel.Rather than trying to discuss each of the many security-related measures enacted by the Department of State, this history concentrates upon the broader context of threats and crises confronting the Department during a particular era, as well as the measures that fell eventually under the purview of DS. The work examines such measures as codes, couriers, espionage, and more.

Download or read book Diplomatic Security State Should Enhance Its Management of Transportation Related Risks to Overseas U S Personnel written by Michael J. Courts and published by U.S. Government Accountability Office. This book was released on 2016-10-04 with total page 47 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is the State Department doing enough to keep U.S. personnel safe? U.S. personnel overseas can be targets of terrorism, violence, and crime—particularly while in transit. From 1998 to 2015, State Department personnel were attacked more than 100 times while traveling outside of embassy compounds, with many of the worst attacks occurring while victims were in motorcades, official vehicles, or other forms of transportation. The Department of State has taken steps to protect personnel in transit, but we found opportunities to enhance transportation policies, training, and communications, and made multiple recommendations to that end. What GAO Found The Department of State (State) has established policies related to transportation security for overseas U.S. personnel, but gaps exist in guidance and monitoring. GAO reviewed 26 posts and found that all 26 had issued transportation security and travel notification policies. However, policies at 22 of the 26 posts lacked elements required by State, due in part to fragmented implementation guidance on what such policies should include. State also lacks a clear armored vehicle policy for overseas posts and procedures for monitoring if posts are assessing their armored vehicle needs at least annually as required by State. These gaps limit State's ability to ensure that posts develop clear policies that are consistent with State's requirements and that vehicle needs for secure transit are met. While State provides several types of training related to overseas transportation security, weaknesses exist in post-specific refresher training. Regional security officers (RSO) receive required training related to transportation security in special agent courses, and nonsecurity staff reported receiving relevant training before departing for posts—including on topics such as defensive driving and the importance of taking personal responsibility for one's security—as well as new arrival briefings at posts. At most of the 9 posts GAO visited, however, staff had difficulty remembering key details covered in new arrival briefings or described the one-time briefings as inadequate. State's requirements for providing refresher briefings are unclear, potentially putting staff at greater risk. State uses various systems at overseas posts to communicate time-sensitive information related to transportation security, but several factors hinder its efforts. RSOs and other post officials are responsible for communicating threat information to post personnel. However, at 4 of the 9 posts it visited, GAO learned of instances in which staff did not receive important threat information in a timely manner for various reasons. In one case, this resulted in an embassy vehicle being attacked with rocks and seriously damaged while traveling through a prohibited area. In addition, while all 9 of the posts GAO visited require that personnel notify the RSO before traveling to certain locations, personnel at more than half of the 9 posts said they were unaware of these requirements or had difficulty accessing required travel notification systems. Timely communication is critical for managing transportation security risks, and failure to communicate important transportation-related information and receive such information promptly could leave overseas personnel facing avoidable security risks. Why GAO Did This Study U.S. diplomatic personnel posted overseas continue to face threats to their security. According to State, personnel and their families are particularly vulnerable when traveling outside the relative security of diplomatic work facilities or residences. In many serious or fatal attacks on U.S. personnel over the last three decades, victims were targeted while in motorcades, official vehicles, or otherwise in transit. GAO was asked to review how State manages transportation-related security risks to U.S. diplomatic personnel overseas. For this report, GAO evaluated the extent to which State, with regard to transportation security at overseas posts, has (1) established policies, guidance, and monitoring; (2) provided personnel with training; and (3) communicated time-sensitive information. GAO reviewed agency documents and met with key officials in Washington, D.C. GAO also reviewed policies from a judgmental sample of 26 posts—primarily higher-threat, higher-risk locations—and conducted fieldwork and met with officials at 9 of these posts. This is the public version of a sensitive but unclassified report issued in September 2016. What GAO Recommends GAO is making eight recommendations in this report to help State improve its management of transportation-related security risks by enhancing associated policies, guidance, and monitoring; clarifying its requirements for refresher briefings; and better communicating time-sensitive information. State agreed to take steps for all but one recommendation—the need to clarify its requirements for refresher briefings. GAO continues to believe this is needed as discussed in the report.

Download or read book State Department written by Jess T. Ford and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2010-06 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: State Department's (State) Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) is responsible for the protection of people, information, and property at over 400 foreign missions and domestic locations. DS must be prepared to counter threats such as crime, espionage, and passport fraud, technological intrusions, political violence, and terrorism. This report assesses: (1) how DS's mission has evolved since 1998; (2) how its resources have changed over the last 10 years; and (3) the challenges it faces in conducting its missions. The auditor analyzed DS data; reviewed relevant documents; and interviewed officials at several domestic facilities and 18 international missions. Includes recommendations. Charts and tables.

Download or read book Dangerous Diplomacy written by Joel Mowbray and published by Regnery Publishing. This book was released on 2003-09-01 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A journalist and former congressional staffer exposes the inherent contradictions and internal conflicts that hamper the State Department and could stymie the war on terrorism.

Download or read book State Department written by Michael J. Courts and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 10 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book State Department written by United States Government Accountability Office and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-05-12 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: STATE DEPARTMENT: Diplomatic Security Challenges

Download or read book The Role of Security in the State Department Promotion Process written by United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Foreign Relations. Subcommittee on International Operations and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book State Department written by United States Accounting Office (GAO) and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-05-16 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: State Department: Challenges Facing the Bureau of Diplomatic Security

Download or read book Inside a U S Embassy written by Shawn Dorman and published by Potomac Books, Inc.. This book was released on 2011 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inside a U.S. Embassy is widely recognized as the essential guide to the Foreign Service. This all-new third edition takes readers to more than fifty U.S. missions around the world, introducing Foreign Service professionals and providing detailed descriptions of their jobs and firsthand accounts of diplomacy in action. In addition to profiles of diplomats and specialists around the world-from the ambassador to the consular officer, the public diplomacy officer to the security specialist-is a selection from more than twenty countries of day-in-the-life accounts, each describing an actual day on.

Download or read book The United States Department of Homeland Security written by Richard White and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 552 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The United States Department of Homeland Security: An Overview, 2Eis the single source to help you understand the Department of Homeland Security. It provides a comprehensive overview of the Department's history, mission, organization, and programs designed to reduce America's vulnerability to attack and quickly recover from disaster. Learn about: The Terrorist Threat Natural Disasters Homeland Security Strategy Intelligence & Warning Critical Infrastructure Protection Border and Transportation Security Domestic Counterterrorism Emergency Preparedness & Response Defending Against Catastrophic Threats First Responders State & Local Fusion Centers The National Guard Homeland Security's Past Homeland Security's Future This book takes a strategic look at the Department of Homeland Security and answers the key questions: “what is DHS?”, “why do we need it?”, and “how does it protect America?”.

Download or read book Security Regulations written by United States. Department of State and published by . This book was released on 1985 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Embassy Security State Department Efforts to Improve Security Overseas written by United States. General Accounting Office and published by . This book was released on 1986 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Revitalizing the State Department and American Diplomacy written by Uzra S. Zeya and published by Council on Foreign Relations Press. This book was released on 2020-11-05 with total page 46 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "America's network of international relationships is its foremost strategic asset, even as the agency charged with advancing U.S. interests through diplomacy-the Department of State (DOS)-has fallen into a deep and sustained period of crisis," write former diplomats Uzra S. Zeya and Jon Finer. In Revitalizing the State Department and American Diplomacy, they argue that "left unaddressed, the challenges that DOS faces risk causing irreparable damage to America's standing and influence in the world, ability to advance its interests overseas, and security and prosperity at home." The authors note that "despite the decades-long failure to implement essential reforms-and even in the face of sustained hostility from the [Donald J. Trump] administration-diplomacy remains the best tool the United States has to advance its foreign policy interests." "But many of the challenges facing the DOS have existed for decades," they explain. "Deficits in diversity, institutional culture, and professionalization are endemic to the State Department as an institution, and a diminished policy role for career officials persisted under previous administrations." Zeya and Finer identify areas in greatest need of reform and offer the following recommendations for the next secretary of state: Twenty-First-Century Statecraft. The State Department should develop "greater expertise in the range of issues that will be essential to American leadership in the twenty-first century," which include climate change, pandemic disease, shifting global power, economic competitiveness, equity, anticorruption, and technological transformation. Institutional Reform. "Make the State Department a diverse, equitable, and inclusive institution" by underscoring diversity as a national security priority, overcoming a risk-averse culture, delayering and decentralizing decision-making, and bridging the career-noncareer divide. Workforce Expansion. "Urgent attention needs to be devoted to revitalizing the professional path and retention of the current DOS workforce," which has seen "a brain drain of senior talent" and "Civil Service staffing frozen at 2017 levels." The authors suggest greater flexibility in career paths and enabling return, as well as rebooting and expanding training and continuous learning. Beyond the Near Term. "The State Department would also benefit from some longer-term thinking" including amending the Foreign Service Act, implementing unified national security budgeting, and establishing a Diplomatic Reserve Corps. "When properly empowered and entrusted with significant responsibilities, American diplomats play essential roles in consequential outcomes for the country," the authors write. Revitalizing the State Department and restoring diplomacy "means addressing deficiencies in DOS policy focus and capacity, institutional culture, and workforce diversity and flexibility, while laying the groundwork to cement these and other changes through legislation," the authors conclude. Finer was chief of staff and director of policy planning at the U.S. Department of State. He is currently on leave as an adjunct senior fellow at CFR. Zeya is CEO and president of the Alliance for Peacebuilding and previously had a twenty-seven-year diplomatic career.

Download or read book State Department Domestic Security Lapses and Status of Overseas Security Enhancements written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on International Relations and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: