Via US Embassy San Jose in Costa Rica. The video warns about visa scammers who promised help in obtaining a visa, a job or residence in the United States. In a starring role is Costa Rican singer Daniel Castillo and Ambassador Anne Slaughter Andrew.
Can you spot the stars? There’s one smiling while working the fingerprint scanner!
– DS
Filed under Ambassadors, Consular Work, Scams, Social Media, U.S. Missions, Visas
That’s what apparently one ambassador called it within hearing distance of the staff. The ambassador is a career Foreign Service officer.
In the aftermath of the 1998 twin bombings of our embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, the State Department expanded its crisis management training program to allow most Foreign Service employees to participate in an exercise each tour. If memory serves us right, the CME is part of the recommendations of the ARB Nairobi/Dar. According to a recent OIG report on FSI, posts that have experienced civil unrest, terrorism, and natural disasters in recent years reported that the exercises were invaluable in preparing them for real crises.
Even a small post like the US Consulate in Ponta Delgada in the Azores did one last September:
The U.S. Consulate conducted a Crisis Management Exercise on September 4, 2012. The training exercise, designed to practice crisis management procedures in the case of a major natural or man-made disaster type scenario, stressed the importance of emergency planning and preparedness. Visiting U.S. Foreign Service Institute training facilitator Ruth Abramson covered emergency planning fundamentals, guidance regarding crises, and led participants through a series of fictional yet realistic disaster situations. This year’s exercise included host government officials which greatly enhanced the scope of the training and accentuated the importance of communication in times of crisis. Principal Officer Rafael A. Perez highlighted the need for all American Citizens living in the Azores to register with the U.S. Consulate in Ponta Delgada – especially dual citizens.
CME at the US Consulate Ponta Delgada (via USConsulate Azores)
A chief of mission who considers the CME crap sends a signal to his/her staff that the exercise not only lacks merit but is also a waste of time. And if the person at the top does not take it seriously, how can anyone expect the rest of the mission to take it seriously?
We thought we might update this Crisis-Prepared Vs. Crisis-Unready list extracted from the FAM. We added the last two items on the list for um, clarity.
From the lessons learned over time and in numerous crises, from natural disasters to terrorist bombings we have developed a strong concept of what NOT to be or do. If you and your colleagues can assure yourselves that the following characteristics of a crisis-prone organization do not describe you or your consular section, you should be able to tackle whatever crisis you encounter .
If the following describes your post, then you need some serious help:
♥ Does not know where it is at risk
♥ Does not routinely communicate internally or externally
♥ Has not considered how to respond
♥ Has not identified key managers
♥ Has unclear policy guidance
♥ Has no emergency procedures/checklists
♥ Has an uncertain/unclear media policy and strategy
♥ Cannot anticipate
♥ Is concerned more with liability than results
♥ Chief of Mission refers to CME as “just more of that FSI crap”
♥ Chief of Mission has been heard on more than one occasion hoping for the Ambassador and DCM to “get killed in the first few minutes of the exercise” so they can leave early.
In our mailbox this morning:
Spilled hot coffee on your lap? It’s probably an isolated incident. Still, you should exercise greater situational awareness, and be vigilant about the location and volume of your cup. Don’t worry, we have it on good authority that coffee imports remain strong.
Rolling blackouts knocked out the lights at your softball game? Well, it’s probably just an anomaly. Statistically, according to Wikipedia, Cairo gets at least twelve hours of daylight this time of year. Exercise situational awareness and modify your plans accordingly.
Seven Egyptian officers abducted by militants in the Sinai? That’s a rare occurrence. The next group will exercise greater situational awareness, and perhaps be less obvious about being, you know, Egyptian officers.
Our correspondent sounds snarkily unhappy. It may have something to do with creeping developments like below:
Child Vendor Killed Outside US Embassy Cairo’s Front Gates (Ahram Online, February 2013):
“An Egyptian army conscript walks up to 12-year-old Omar Salah Omran, who sells hot sweet potatoes on the street – outside the front gates of Cairo’s US Embassy, close to Tahrir Square – and requests two potatoes from the young street vendor.
Omar answers, “I’ll do so after I go to the bathroom.” The allegedly untrained soldier retorts with a mix of cockiness and jest that he will shoot Omar if he doesn’t comply immediately.
On Omar’s reply, “You can’t shoot me” – the conscript, on the alleged presumption that his weapon was not loaded, sent two bullets through Omar’s heart. He died instantly.”
Chris Stone Knife Attack Outside US Embassy Cairo (AhramOnline/MENA, May 10, 2013):
“The man who stabbed an American in Cairo on Thursday says he was motivated by a hatred of the United States. Mahmoud Badr, 30, who holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce, was arrested on Thursday after stabbing American academic Chris Stone in the neck outside the US embassy in Cairo.”
Separately, we heard that “Many Amcits in Cairo are concerned about the lack of security in the area outside the Embassy. Egyptian security forces are present in theory but do little other than sit at their check points and drink tea…. The Embassy appears to take little interest in what takes place outside its fortress.”
Al-Qaeda targeted US, French embassies in Cairo: Investigators (Ahram Online, May 15, 2013):
“Investigations have revealed that members of the Al-Qaeda terrorist group – who escaped from prison during Egypt’s 2011 uprising – had planned attacks on the US and French embassies in Cairo, according to official Egyptian news agency MENA.[...] Investigators said that the suspects had planned suicide attacks – with the use of car bombs – against the US and French embassies in Cairo.”
Benghazi Emails (NBC News, The Weekly Standard, May 15, 2013)
“On 10 September the Agency (CIA) notified Embassy Cairo of social media reports calling for a demonstration and encouraging jihadists to break into the Embassy.”
CIA Warned of ‘Jihadist’ Threat to Cairo Embassy (The Weekly Standard, May 15, 2013)
“The editing process specifically removed any hint that “jihadists” were encouraged to “break into” the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. In fact, jihadists were incited to act by Mohammed al Zawahiri, the younger brother of al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri, as well as several other al Qaeda-linked extremists.”
Meanwhile the State Department has now issued an updated Travel Alert dated May 15, 2013 to include information “about a knife attack on a private U.S. citizen near the Embassy on May 9.” The alert does not/not include any reference to a terror plot or terror cell in Egypt or that the mission has now been targetted in at least two known incidents.
– DS
Nordstrom, \nord-struhm\, verb;
1.) To document your position so effectively and completely that, in the event of a very public Congressional hearing, if there are rear ends left flapping about in the breeze at the end of it, yours sure isn’t one of them.
Examples of Usage:
- “…So I made sure I Nordstromed the hell out of it…”
- “…And I told them that I would be Nordstroming that up one side and down the other, just so we were all clear on where I stood…”
Also -
- “The country is falling apart and if you have not Nordstromed your requests yet, better start before it’s too late.”
After Eric A. Nordstrom, the former Regional Security Officer at the US Embassy in Tripoli. Reposting this as a reminder to our friends in the region over there.
– DS
Filed under Diplomatic Security, Lessons, New Word, Security, U.S. Missions
The Voice of Russia reported today that US diplomat, Ryan C. Fogle was asked to leave the country for allegedly attempting to recruit a Russian special service officer as a US agent:
A statement from the FSB said that overnight on May 13/14 Russian FSB counter-intelligence agencies detained a member of the US Central Intelligence Agency, named as Ryan Christopher Fogle, who worked as third secretary of the political department of the US Embassy in Moscow.
It is alleged he was caught red-handed, with written instructions, a large sum of money and a wig.
[...]
The foreign ministry said Ryan C. Fogle must return to the United States “as soon as possible,” adding that such “provocative acts in the spirit of the Cold War in no way help strengthen mutual trust” between Moscow and Washington.
We don’t know more than what we’ve read on the news but expulsion also means he will only have a very short window to pack and leave the country.
Of course, we’re also reminded that in September 2009, there were lots of speculation that the FSB was responsible for leaking a story and video of the sex tape purported to be of a US diplomat assigned at the US Embassy in Moscow. That one went on for seven weeks until then Ambassador Beyrle finally complained to the Foreign Ministry over what it says is an effort to smear a diplomat with a fabricated sex tape (see US Embassy Moscow Complains About Russian Sex Video).
So no sex tape this time but a couple of wigs, a compass (?), a recruitment letter that looks like spam and gmail!
The wigs!
Really, wigs are so 1980’s. Whoever wrote this script did not earn his/her pay. At least in FX’s The Amerikans, whenever the KGB agents had to go in disguise, they wear wigs. But you know, those wigs stay on whether those agents are on a knife fight or in a bed escapade. If those guys can keep their wigs on in a 1980’s show, surely our CIA agents if they have to wear a wig as a disguise, can do better than a blonde wig that gets dislodged when you’re wrestled to the ground? Plus whatever happened to Mission Impossible’s latex masks? Ugh!
A compass!
Over in NYT: “Who uses a compass these days?” asked Mark Galeotti, a New York University professor who studies Russian security affairs. “This would be a phenomenal breach of tradecraft. This isn’t what they teach you at the CIA.”
What’s a compass?
NYMag posted the alleged written instruction found on Mr. Fogle but writes that there is “actually something pretty weird about this story. It’s the recruitment letter (translated here into English from its original Russian by news outlet RT):
Click on image to read the text of the recruitment letter (via WaPo)
This is how the CIA recruits spies? With a form letter that reads like something you’d find in your in-box courtesy of a Nigerian prince? See (see Apparently the CIA Recruits Russian Spies With a Spammy Form Letter).
Of course, the arrest also happened as the US Ambassador to Moscow Michael McFaul was holding a live Q&A on Twitter. Coincidence or perfectly timed?
The AP on the video released by FSB: “The official, whose face is blurred, alleged that Fogle called an unidentified FSB counterintelligence officer who specializes in the Caucasus at 11:30 p.m. Monday. He then said that after the officer refused to meet, Fogle called him a second time and offered 100,000 euros if he would provide information to the U.S. The Russian official said the FSB was flabbergasted.”
Well, they should be. This sounds like awful theater.
In WashDC, State Department deputy spokesman Patrick Ventrell is reported to have said that the incident is unlikely to hamper U.S.-Russia relations.
And life goes on.
–DS
But … nothintodowithus!
Two days after the Egyptian Government announced the arrest of three militants with ties to Al Qaeda plotting terrorist attacks in Egyptian cities and after local officials have reportedly told their American counterparts that the US Embassy was a target, the U.S. Embassy Cairo finally released Security Message to U.S. Citizens No. 44: Maintaining Good Personal Security in Egypt. Excerpt below:
The knife attack on the Embassy’s perimeter, along with weekend media reports acknowledging that Egyptian authorities have disrupted a terror cell possibly targeting Egyptian and Western interests, serve as yet another reminder of the need to exercise good situational awareness. Effective situational awareness starts with fully understanding the threat environment and elevating your personal alert level when indicators are present or as the environment may dictate – oftentimes in more public settings. Security and Emergency Messages to U.S. Citizens over the past year portray an environment where elevated awareness and good security habits must become normal practice.
In an incident on May 9, 2013 involving the stabbing of a U.S. citizen on the Embassy perimeter, the victim was approached by an unknown person who asked whether he was an American. The victim turned away from his attacker, at which point the attacker stabbed the victim with a knife. Though in general, anti-American sentiment is not directed at individual U.S. citizens in Egypt, U.S policy in the region does elicit strong, often negative emotions in Egypt. Therefore, U.S. citizens should consider their profile as U.S. citizens, and possibly adjust depending on the area they are in, including near the Embassy compound, or the person/s with whom they may be interacting. Moving in and around the Embassy perimeter can readily identify U.S. citizens as such.
The Egyptian Minister of Interior’s announcement on May 11 that a terror cell was disrupted signals the need to be vigilant and exercise good security habits. The most vulnerable periods are normally when departing/arriving from/to residence/workplace and therefore should be a time of elevated awareness. Please do not set routine patterns; vary your times and routes. Get a sense of what/who belongs in the neighborhood and report anything appearing out of the ordinary or suspicious.
The knife attack gets the lead and exactly two paragraphs, in addition to one statement previously released about that incident on May 10th (see Security Message for U.S. Citizens: Knife Attack on Embassy Perimeter). The terror plot unmentioned except for a disrupted terror cell. Makes one wonder if post management even acknowledged to its mission staff that the embassy was a target.
In a separate development, in no way related to whatever — the embassy also announced that the Special Assistant to the President and White House Coordinator for the Middle East Philip Gordon (former EUR A/S) visited Cairo to meet with a range of government, political party, civil society, and business leaders.
Dr. Gordon is said to have “reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Egypt relationship and reiterated the United States’ strong support for the Egyptian people as they work to complete their democratic transition.” As well, he “pledged continued U.S. support as Egypt works to stabilize its economy and reach agreement with the IMF to promote its economic recovery.”
On May 9th, the AP reported that the IMF assessed that Egypt’s financial situation is deteriorating and the lending agency won’t move ahead with a $4.8 billion loan until receiving updated economic information and reform plans from President Mohamed Morsy’s government.
The NYT reported on May 11 that Egyptian security forces have arrested three militants with ties to Al Qaeda who were planning terrorist attacks in Egyptian cities and against a foreign embassy. An unnamed western official told the NYT that the Egyptians had privately identified the embassy as the US Embassy in Cairo. Egyptian officials have reportedly told their American counterparts that the US Embassy was a target.
Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim said at a news conference that the suspects had been arrested with 22 pounds of explosive materials and instructions on how to make bombs and build rockets and model airplanes to use in the attacks.
He said the suspects were ‘‘on the verge’’ of attacking an embassy when they were arrested.
The State Department would not comment on the Egyptian allegations. ‘‘We don’t discuss the specifics of our operations nor the exchanges we have with foreign officials,’’ said Jennifer R. Psaki, a department spokeswoman.
As of this writing, there is no USG Travel Warning issued for Egypt. There is a Travel Alert dated March 29, 2013 that talks about “the continuing possibility of political and social unrest, incidents of which have led to recent violence.” Also that “There have been no reports of U.S. citizens being targeted specifically because of their nationality; however, in isolated instances, Westerners and U.S. citizens have been caught in the middle of clashes and demonstrations.”
That March 29 alert made no mention of al-Qaeda or terrorism in Egypt. The Embassy’s Messages to U.S. Citizens do not appear to include any details about the October 2012 incident where an al-Qaeda cell was caught in Cairo’s Nasr City. At least, we could not find anything on the embassy or OSAC’s website.
We have several contacts in Egypt and one of them shared with us the security advisory sent by an international organization to its 1,000 plus personnel in Egypt on May 11. Below is an excerpt:
Egyptian security forces reportedly apprehended three militants with alleged ties to al-Qaeda in Alexandria and Cairo on May 11. Initial reports indicate militants planned to execute suicide bombings in central locations in Cairo and Alexandria in the coming days, including in Metro stations. Mohammed Ibrahim then added that their target was a “foreign embassy”, which other reports claimed was the French Embassy in Cairo’s Giza district.
The minister further stated that the cell is related to a previous cell that was apprehended in Nasr City on October 24, 2012. In that incident, forces raided a suspected militant hideout in Cairo’s Nasr City District, killing one suspect said to have been linked to the deadly September 11 Consulate in Benghazi.
The security advisory on its assessment says that the arrests highlight the continued presence of Islamist militants “throughout Egypt and their connection with transnational extremist networks.”
The advisory also notes that the militants of the Nasr City cell who were apprehended in October last year were arrested on suspicion of possessing weapons, engineering attacks in Cairo, planning assassinations of government leaders, and smuggling weapons from Libya to support the rebels in Syria. It warns that “A suicide attack in the immediate term highlights militants’ ability to advance beyond the preliminary stages of planning attacks, which coincides with the ongoing security and intelligence vacuum that emerged following the January 2011 revolution.”
Apparently, there were reports claiming that the target was the French Embassy. The advisory addressed this but appeared convinced that “there remains a high likelihood” that the US Embassy Cairo may have ben the target due to the “notable rise in Anti-US sentiments” since the Arab Spring:
In case the French Embassy was not the intended target, we assess there remains a high likelihood that other Western missions in Cairo may have been targets, primarily the U.S. and Israeli embassies. This is due to a notable rise in anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli sentiments in North Africa since the 2011 upheaval.
Also — the security advisory points to the potential risk for reprisal attacks in the aftermath of the arrests:
As details emerge regarding the background of the detainees, we assess that the risk for reprisal attacks in Cairo and elsewhere in Egypt will increase. This threat is likely to include, but is not limited to, the targeting of security installations as well as foreign interests. Furthermore, in case the planned attack was indeed related to the situation in Mali, this threat applies to Western-affiliated interests in the Middle East and Africa regions as a whole, and not solely in Egypt.
Google Earth
Okay then –
We’re going to have to ask a delicate question – which will annoy folks at Embassy Cairo’s front office.
Did post management know that there is this threat? Does it know about the threat to the mission now?
If the answer is “no” — does that mean their local and intel contacts are plainly useless? But … but …see, apparently “Egyptian officials have reportedly told their American counterparts that the US Embassy was a target.”
Well, then if that is true, then the answer had to be a “yes.” In which case the policy of “No Double Standard” kicks in. That’s the part where if/when the Department shares information with the official U.S. community (as in travel warnings/alerts/consular info program), it should also make the same or similar information available to the non-official U.S. community if the underlying threat applies to both official and non-official U.S. citizens/nationals (see 7 FAM 052.1).
So far we haven’t seen anything from US Embassy Cairo. This is a curious case that’s bugging our OCD plenty.
Update on May 12@9:50 am: Wait — we posted this past midnight last night and this morning, a blog pal kindly knocked us on the head on this — telling the blog that it is “easy” to get around the No Double Standard policy. See, you only need to tell the public, if you’re alerting the official community. So, really — if you carry on as before, and you don’t change official behavior or advice, you don’t need to tell anyone.
Oops …. but… but … oh, dammit!!
If you missed our blog post on US Embassy Cairo on May 11th, see US Embassy Egypt: From the Real Post Reports, the New Cairo; Plus Western Embassy Targeted. That post merit at least a triple curse!
– DS
Today, the BBC News reported the arrest of three al-Qaeda militants in Cairo. The reported target is a western embassy. That probably means, the three militants who were in the final stages of their terror plot were targeting New Zealand or Uruguay, either would do as a western embassy. Dear US Embassy Cairo – since the mob was there to just say hello to you last year, it’s not you, carry on. Excerpt from the BBC:
Egyptian police have arrested three al-Qaeda militants planning a suicide attack on a Western embassy, the country’s interior minister says.
Mohammed Ibrahim did not specify which embassy had been targeted, but said a quantity of chemicals had been found.
Mr Ibrahim gave the names of three men and said they were planning attacks in both Cairo and Alexandria.
[...]
All three men, described as jihadists, had been in touch with an al-Qaeda militant in Pakistan as well as another in the Sinai peninsula, the minister said.He also linked the men to a group arrested last October who were accused of setting up a cell in the Nasr City area of Cairo.
Last Thursday, Christopher Stone, an American citizen and a fellow at the American Research Center in Egypt, was attacked outside the perimeter of the embassy. US Embassy Cairo quickly released a statement that says the ongoing investigation has established that the “incident was not tied to any larger conspiracy.”
“Police investigating yesterday’s knife attack on the Embassy perimeter reported that the perpetrator has admitted to the attack and claimed his motivation was to seek revenge over U.S policies in the Middle East. The perpetrator carried out the attack after establishing his victim to be a U.S. citizen. The U.S. citizen victim is reportedly recovering and should be released from the hospital in the next day or so. The investigation, while still ongoing, has established that the perpetrator acted alone, and the incident was not tied to any larger conspiracy.”
Of course, it’s not a conspiracy! What a silly thing to suggest!
Post Reports if you’re not familiar with them are detailed reports of every diplomatic post in the U.S. foreign service that are intended to help personnel decide where they want to go next. It is part of the official bidding resources (see this old one from 2004 still available online via ediplomat.com – Post Report on Egypt).
A while back, the State Department removed the Post Reports from the Internet. Updated reports are now available only via Diplopedia in the State Department’s Intranet website.
Since these are part of the bidding tools, one can easily tell that every post report’s goal is to look as attractive as possible to the prospective bidders. And that’s probably the main reason why the Real Post Report (RPR) was born. The Real Post Reports is the brainchild of a few Foreign Service spouses and now resides in the privately-run Tales from a Small Planet. The website, run by volunteers no longer requires registration, so we feel better linking to that from this blog.
There are RPRs going back years. Sometimes, you’re lucky if you see an RPR once a year. Here are a few examples:
The RPRs, of course, are done voluntarily and submitted primarily by members of the Foreign Service as well as members of the expat community.
As of this writing, Cairo, Egypt has already six RPRs from January – March 2013 alone. If that trend continues, we’ll have 24 RPRs by the end of the year. The reports were all written by volunteers affiliated with the US Government in Cairo with overseas experience ranging from a first tour to a seventh/multiple tours. (Note: The day after this post went online, two more RPRs were posted on Cairo here).
Here are excerpts from the Real Post Reports on Cairo culled from six eight reports:
Size of expat community
Morale among expats
Are there any special security concerns?
Knowing what you now know, would you still go there?
You may read the full Real Post Reports on Cairo here.
Meanwhile, on May 1st this year, Financial Times reported that homicides in Egypt tripled from 774 in 2010 to 2,144 last year; home invasions jumped from 7,368 in 2010 to 11,699 in 2012; kidnapping for ransom rose from 107 in 2010 to 412 in 2012. The US Embassy published its Egypt 2012 OSAC Crime and Safety Report in February last year. It’s now May and we’re still looking for the 2013 report.
Now, if you’ve been following this blog, you will noticed that we’ve been blogging about the goings on at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. No, not just because its Twitter team occasionally make a large splash but also because of a reported “abysmal morale” at post. See this blog post — US Embassy Bangui: 15% Danger Post With Terrifically Bad Trimmings, It’s Not Alone –Wassup Cairo?
Can you imagine what happened then?
Apparently, following the blog post, the DCM (is it still Marc Seivers?) stormed into the security office demanding to know “who leaked the story to that damn blog…” and not getting the answer he want, slammed the door on the way out.
Uh-oh!
But really, it’s okay, we’ve been called worse than “damn.”
So anyway, “that damn blog” has learned that Embassy Cairo was recently host to high level visits presumably to see if there was an abyss in “abysmal morale.”
We understand that post visitors included Ambassador Hans Klemm, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Bureau of Human Resources (DGHR), Elizabeth Dibble, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs (NEA), and Paul Reid, the Director for Entry Level Career Development and Assignments (DGHR/CDA).
We don’t know yet what they found at Embassy Cairo. But we heard that there is one team heading that way to um …. look around or something. Another team who’s trip had been previously postponed is also heading that way again …
What a relief that the Interior Minister did not specify which western embassy had been targeted. It could have been Venezuela, you know.
– DS
Via the State Department:
The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of traveling to Libya and strongly advises against all but essential travel to Tripoli and all travel to Benghazi, Bani Walid, and southern Libya, including border areas and the regions of Sabha and Kufra. Because of ongoing instability and violence, the Department’s ability to provide consular services to U.S. citizens in these regions of Libya is extremely limited. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning dated March 11, 2013.
In early May, the security situation in Tripoli deteriorated when armed groups seized Libyan government buildings in a dispute over a law regarding officials of the former regime. In response, on May 8, the Department of State ordered the departure of a number of U.S. government personnel in Tripoli.
The security situation in Libya remains unpredictable. Sporadic episodes of civil unrest have occurred throughout the country. U.S. citizens should avoid areas of demonstrations and exercise caution if in the vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or demonstrations, as even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. U.S. citizens traveling to, or remaining in, Libya should use caution and limit nonessential travel within the country, make their own contingency emergency plans, and maintain security awareness at all times.
Read in full here.
– DS
Filed under Evacuations, Foreign Service, Security, State Department, U.S. Missions
Presiding: Senator Menendez
Date: Tuesday, May 07, 2013
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: Senate Dirksen 419
Webcast: This hearing is scheduled to be live webcast. Please return to this page to view the hearing live at the specified date and time.
NOMINEES:
The Honorable James Knight, of Alabama, to be the Ambassador to the Republic of Chad
The Honorable Deborah Kay Jones, of New Mexico, to be the Ambassador to Libya
Filed under Ambassadors, Congress, Hearings, Nominations, SFRC, U.S. Missions
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