Monthly Archives: July 2019

@StateDept’s “New Camp Sullivan” in Afghanistan Four Years On: A Lovely $103.2 Million Flat Dirt

July 31, 2019 By in Contractors, Diplomatic Security, Follow the Money, Functional Bureaus, Lessons, Realities of the FS, Regulations, Security, Spectacular, State Department, U.S. Missions, US Embassy Kabul, War Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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State/OIG’s Office of Evaluation and Special Projects has released its Evaluation of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security’s Aegis Construction Contract at Camp Eggers in Afghanistan (PDF). Well, nothing good to read in this report, but the flat dirt is lovely, and makes us want to pull our hair out in  frustration. We bring you some GIFs to make us all feel better.

Camp Eggers Afghanistan, Photo by State/OIG

Things of note excerpted from the IG report:
The Department awarded Task Order 10 in July 2011 to Aegis (GardaWorld)  to provide and manage an armed and unarmed guard force known as the Kabul Embassy Security Force (KESF) for Embassy Kabul and other U.S. diplomatic facilities within Kabul, Afghanistan. On September 30, 2014, the Department modified Task Order 10 held by Aegis to allow for the renovation of Camp Eggers in its entirety and to erect a new facility known as the “New Camp Sullivan.” […]Modification 43 was issued to Aegis under a firm fixed price for the design-build of the Camp Eggers construction project. The task order modification was valued at about $173.2 million with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2016.
[…] An Aegis official told OIG he did not believe the company had undertaken any construction projects other than building a shooting range at Camp Sullivan. An OBO official noted that Aegis lacked the “institutional expertise” to build to OBO standards, and several Department officials told OIG that they had doubts about Aegis’s ability to carry out major construction work.

 

On January 10, 2014, AQM awarded a contract to the management consulting firm, Markon, on behalf of DS to perform professional engineering services.[..] Markon […] warned the Department in August 2014—a month before the task order was modified—that the project would not likely be finished on time or on budget. The Department nonetheless chose to move forward with this fundamentally unsuitable construction mechanism because of what it viewed as exigent need and a lack of alternatives.

 

Multiple Department officials, as well as an Aegis official, told OIG that they viewed the initial 18-month project timeline as unreasonable. An official from AQM expressed skepticism that such an extensive project could ever be completed so quickly in a construction environment as logistically complex as Afghanistan.[…]The renovation of Camp Eggers entailed extensive demolition and redevelopment, including [snip] the construction of new facilities. The “New Camp Sullivan” facility was intended to become a self-supporting, multi-use facility, which included life support for up to 900 personnel (expandable to house up to 1,500 personnel) all within a secure perimeter.

 

Aegis, through its subcontractor, CWI, purchased materials costing approximately $19.4 million for Camp Eggers. However, roughly 23 percent of these materials ($4.5 million) were obtained without submitting proper documentation or receiving proper Department approval.[…]The materials had to be stored due to numerous project delays, which prevented CWI from using the materials as they were delivered. The storage continued throughout the life of the contract until all of the materials were disposed of by May 2018. Over the life of the task order, the Department wasted about $22 million on materials that were never used and then paid to store them

 

Although Aegis continuously missed project milestones and failed to adhere to contract requirements, the Department still did not take meaningful corrective action against Aegis beyond issuing LOCs. As noted, these were primarily issued by DS. The Department also held a number of meetings with Aegis personnel to discuss the lack of progress made on the project, but no further corrective action was taken.

 

The Department reached a settlement with Aegis in March 2019 whereby the Department agreed to pay Aegis a total of $94.6 million. Based on this figure, in addition to three separate contracts with Markon Solutions, Incorporated for professional engineering and design review services, OIG identified a total of $103.2 million in questioned costs related to the Camp Eggers project.[…] the “New Camp Sullivan” remained flat dirt after more than four years of effort. The Department estimated that approximately 10 percent of the construction work was completed, and the 100 percent design—the final design—remained unfinished.

After the termination of the Camp Eggers project, the Department transferred materials stored in Kabul to fill other U.S. Government needs in the area. Regarding the materials in Dubai, Red Sea Housing Services Company FZE (Red Sea), the company with whom the Department ordered CHUs, reached a final termination settlement valued at about $2.5 million with Aegis and the Department under which Red Sea would keep all the materials and equipment they procured on behalf of the Department. The remaining materials in Sterling, VA were disposed of through the General Services Administration’s excess property program and some were scrapped.

Via reactiongif.com

 

OIG’s conclusion: [T]he Department’s sense of urgency, the selection of a non-construction contractor, the assignment of officials inexperienced in construction to oversee the project, and the failure to hold the contractor accountable for particular instances of poor performance led to the expenditure of more than $100 million without any discernible benefit to the Department or the people it intended to protect. OIG also notes that, more generally, this project illustrates many of the broader concerns that arise when the Department pursues construction projects in contingency or otherwise challenging environments. The Camp Eggers project again highlights the importance of making well-informed, thoughtful choices regarding the most appropriate contract vehicle; careful, consistent oversight; and development of a process for construction work in contingency zones that is sufficiently nimble to address urgent security needs but also considers the resources and capabilities of all relevant Department bureaus.

U.S. Sends Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Robert O’Brien to A$AP Rocky’s Assault Trial in Sweden

July 31, 2019 By in Americans Abroad, Celebrity, Consular Work, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Huh? News, Media, Realities of the FS, Regulations, Spectacular, State Department, Trump, U.S. Missions Tags: , , ,

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According to the State Department, when an American is arrested or detained abroad, the State Department—through its Embassies and Consulates—ensures that U.S. consular officers are there to assist. They help see that Americans are treated humanely and in accordance with local law, are given the opportunity for a lawyer, and can correspond with family back home.
Per its Foreign Affairs Manual, the Department expects consular officers to be “particularly active in, and to fully engage in” the protection of the welfare of the arrestee; ensure that the arrestee is being treated fairly and is afforded all due process under local law, provide needed consular services such as EMDA or administer a trust fund in a timely and efficient manner; track the process of the case through the host country’s legal system; and to keep the Department, family members, congressional representatives and others full informed on all aspects of the case, consistent with Privacy Act.

 

Consular assistance to Americans arrested or detained overseas includes the following:
State Department/U.S. Embassies Can:
  • Provide a list of local attorneys who speak English
  • Contact family, friends, or employers of the detained U.S. citizen (with their written permission)
  • Visit the detained U.S. citizen regularly and provide reading materials and vitamin supplements, where appropriate
  • Ensure that prison officials are providing appropriate medical care
  • Provide a general overview of the local criminal justice process
  • Upon request, ensure that prison officials permit visits with a member of the clergy of the religion of the detainee’s choice
  • Establish an OCS Trust, if necessary, so friends and family can transfer funds to imprisoned U.S. citizens
State Department, U.S. Embassies Cannot:
  • Get U.S. citizens out of jail
  • State to a court that anyone is guilty or innocent
  • Provide legal advice or represent U.S. citizens in court
  • Serve as official interpreters or translators
  • Pay legal, medical, or other fees
Reports note that POTUS sent the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Robert O’Brien to Sweden for the A$AP Rocky trial.  “The president asked me to come here and support these American citizens,” O’Brien told the New York Times. “I’ll be here until they come home.” (via). How often is he going to do this for other American citizens?
Nowhere in the Foreign Affairs Manual is there any mention of the role the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs play in cases of U.S. citizens incarcerated abroad or while they are on trial. In most of the normal world, it is understood that American citizens are subject to the local laws and regulations while visiting or living in the particular countries they are in. In this particular case, Time says that “Sweden does not have a bail system, which is why the rapper was detained with no way to get out even before he was formally charged.” Also see our old post below about the non-portability of American rights.

Non-Portability of American Rights

In any case, we don’t understand why the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs is involved with this case.  Does the U.S. Government considers A$AP Rocky on trial for assault in Sweden, a hostage? Are we to understand that Americans incarcerated and detained overseas are now considered hostages to bring back as soon as possible? And if that’s not the case, and if this is an exception, what are the grounds for the Trump Administration to make this type of exception?
Is the Special Envoy’s role now includes affecting the release of all American citizens from foreign incarceration/detention?
How does a regular American citizen’s family petition for the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs to be involved in their cases overseas?
Any guidance sent to consular officers doing ACS work? When is the State Department updating the Foreign Affairs Manual?
Also the next time U.S. diplomats overseas talk to their local counterparts about judicial independence and the rule of law, should they expect a push back with this case as Exhibit A?

 

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Susan Pompeo wants you to know she’s making happiness, security of diplomatic families her mission

July 31, 2019 By in Diplomatic Life, Foreign Service, Huh? News, MEDical, Mike Pompeo, Pompeo, Realities of the FS, Security, Spouses, State Department, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , ,

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On July 6, 2019, just days after the July 1st CNN report  on a whistleblower claiming Secretary Pompeo’s security picks up Chinese food, and the dog, Sherman, apparently from the groomer, the Washington Times has a rollicking coverage of Susan Pompeo.
‘Do you feel safe?’ Susan Pompeo makes happiness, security of diplomatic families her mission” blares the headline. She’s not a government employee, so the  chances of getting her on the podium to speak about this mission is not high, but the next time reporters get a chance to er … grill her, please ask her where she was when State Department employees were terrified while trying to find an accommodation for their special needs children and their education while overseas.
Where was Mrs. Pompeo when the medical provider at State was deemed to lack a “fundamental lack of compassion”  and lack of understanding and empathy for Foreign Service personnel and families?
Where was Mrs. Pompeo when a senior official of her husband’s agency appears to believe that individuals and families with any sort of special need should not serve overseas, should curtail or break assignments, should stay indefinitely in the United States, or even leave the Foreign Service altogether?
Employees and family members already facing physical, mental and educational challenges, also had to face fear of retribution given the reported hostile and adversarial relationship fostered by a bureau tasked with taking care of employees and families.
Despite reported mistreatment, Foreign Service families have not publicly pushed back, and anything reported are only on background, for fear that their actions could result in the denial of financial support for needed services for special needs children  or fear that it would put in jeopardy clearances for themselves and their dependents. Without appropriate clearances, employees would not be able to work overseas or may have to contend with family separation for members with limited clearances.
If taking care of diplomatic families has become her mission, we’re curious where was Mrs. Pompeo when this issue was causing so much pain, fear, and distractions among FS families? (Also see Under Secretary Bulatao on Enhancing Support for Employees with Children with Special Needs June 30, 2019).
If Mrs. Pompeo wants to make “happiness” and “security” her mission, and that’s the reason she is traveling the globe with her husband, fine. Foreign Service families are short of advocates, and they could use the help. But, if she is  running around telling us this is her mission but was somehow not around for the most vulnerable members of the FS family, what does that say about her mission? 
As an aside – we should note that following the furor over her travel with Secretary Pompeo during the January 2019 government shutdown, CNN reported that the secretary described his wife’s trip as a “working trip”  — apparently telling reporters she joined him to try to help the department “be better.” “So she meets with the medical officers. She’ll tour housing. She will write up her thoughts and comments after that. And I wish I had time to do each of those things myself, but she is a force multiplier,” Secretary Pompeo said according to CNN.
If she did a trip report for that January trip, it has so far remained a secret.  By March 2019, as she became increasingly visible flying around with Secretary Pompeo, the official word coming out of Foggy Bottom is that the secretary “reimburses the United States government for all appropriate expenses, including Mrs. Pompeo’s travel, in accordance with the law.”
Oh, by the way, we think employees at a small post — with leaks in a new embassy compound building roofs in Paramaribo and suffering from exposure to mold — needs help. The health hazard was identified in March 2017!  And the problem still had not been resolved.  Imagine that. We’re guessing that they are not terribly happy nor feeling heath-safe over there.
Also, to the 7th floor denizens reading this post, can you please suggest to Mrs. P. not/not to parachute to posts for coffee or for housing tour during the summer transfer season when spouses are preparing to pack-out (them with their mile-long lists of things to do)?  Just between us, if we’re in the spouses’ shoes, we’d want to scream at our coffee cups, too, especially as these events are never really voluntary.

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Former Condi Rice Advisor Carrie Beth Cabelka to be Asst Secretary For Administration

July 31, 2019 By in Nominations, Officially In, Political Appointees, State Department, Trump Tags: , ,

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On July 22, 2019, the WH announced the appointment of  Carrie Beth Cabelka, of Michigan, to be an Assistant Secretary of State for Administration. The WH released the following brief bio:

Carrie Beth Cabelka currently serves as the White House Liaison to the Department of State.  She previously served as White House Liaison and Senior Advisor to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice from 2007 to 2009, and White House Liaison at the Office of Personnel Management from 2003 to 2007.  Ms. Cabelka began her career working for Senator Spencer Abraham of Michigan, followed by roles in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel and the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration.  While in the private sector, Ms. Cabelka oversaw multimillion-dollar contracts for the Department of Defense, managing public awareness campaigns on health issues that impact service members, veterans and their families, including a special focus on the prevention, treatment, and recovery from traumatic brain injury.  Ms. Cabelka earned a B.A. from Miami University (Ohio).

According to history.state.gov, the Department of State created the position of Assistant Secretary of State for Administration during a general reorganization in December 1944, after Congress authorized an increase in the number of Assistant Secretaries in the Department from four to six (Dec 8, 1944; P.L. 78-472; 58 Stat. 798). The reorganization was the first to designate substantive designations for specific Assistant Secretary positions.

Bureau of Administration Offices

If confirmed, Ms. Cabelka would replace Nicole Nason who was appointed as “A” in December 2017  and apparently served until March 2019 (see Trump to Nominate Ex-NHTSA Admin Nicole R. Nason to be Asst Secretary For Administration). 
Previous appointees to this position include career diplomats William A. Eaton (2001–2005), Patrick Francis Kennedy (1993–2001), and Joyce A. Barr (2011–2017).

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@StateDept Appoints Ambassador Atul Keshap as EAP’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary

July 31, 2019 By in Ambassadors, Appointments, EAP|East Asia, FSOs, State Department, Top Ranks Tags: , ,

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The principal officers of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs are listed here.

Via state.gov:

Ambassador Atul Keshap is a career senior Foreign Service Officer currently serving as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
Across his 25 year career as an American diplomat, Ambassador Keshap has served at postings in India, Morocco, and Guinea, and as United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives.  He has served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, as U.S. Senior Official for Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, and as an Office Director in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs and in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs.
Ambassador Keshap has negotiated or advanced bilateral and multilateral initiatives at senior levels with counterparts from the European Union, United Nations, Japan, United Kingdom, France, India, Canada, Australia, Taiwan, Mexico, Russia, China, Indonesia, Egypt, Morocco, and several other countries in Africa, the Arab world, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
Prior to his current assignment, Ambassador Keshap served at the Department of Defense as the National Defense University’s Vice Chancellor for the College of International Security Affairs.  Earlier in his career, he served as Director for North Africa and Middle East regional affairs on the National Security Council staff in the Executive Office of the President of the United States.
In 2018, Ambassador Keshap received one of the State Department’s highest honors, the Distinguished Honor Award, from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in recognition of his leadership in advancing U.S. interests in the Indian Ocean region.  He is also the recipient of numerous individual Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards.

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Ops Center Director Robert S. Gilchrist to be U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania

July 29, 2019 By in Ambassadors, FSOs, Nominations, Officially In, Trump Tags: , , , , , ,

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On July 22, the WH announced the president’s intent to nominate Robert S. Gilchrist, of Florida, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Lithuania. The WH released the following brief bio:

Robert S. Gilchrist is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, and currently serves as the Director of the Operations Center of the Department of State.  Previously, Mr. Gilchrist was Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Embassy in Sweden, Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Embassy in Estonia, and the Director of Nordic and Baltic Affairs in the State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.  Among his earlier assignments, Mr. Gilchrist was Deputy Political Counselor at the United States Embassy in Iraq, Chief of the Political Section of the United States Embassy in Romania, and a Special Assistant in the Office of the Deputy Secretary of State.  Mr. Gilchrist earned a B.A. from Wake Forest University, and an M.A. degree from the University of Virginia.  He speaks Spanish, French, Estonian, and Romanian.
If confirmed, Mr. Gilcrist would succeed Anne Hall who served as Ambassador to Vilnius from October 2016 to July 2019.  Lithuania is one of some 40 countries in the world where no political appointee has been appointed since the United States resumed diplomatic relations with Lithuania on September 2, 1991.
Some of the previous appointees to this position includes Ambassadors John F. Tefft (1949–), Stephen D. Mull (1958–) and Deborah Ann McCarthy (1955–).

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Wait, they want an employee to “prove causation” for a mystery illness?

July 29, 2019 By in Diplomatic Attacks, Foreign Service, Hall of Shame, Huh? News, MEDical, Realities of the FS, Spectacular, State Department, U.S. Missions Tags: , , ,

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After Whistleblower Report Citing Questionable Tasks For Family, Secretary Pompeo Issues Message on Ethics in Government

July 29, 2019 By in Funnies, Govt Documents, Huh? News, Mike Pompeo, Org Life, Pompeo, Secretary of State, State Department, Trends Tags: , , , ,

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On July 1st, CNN reported on a whistleblower’s allegations to congressional investigators regarding“multiple issues over a period of months, about special agents being asked to carry out some questionable tasks for the Pompeo family.” (see “UberEats With Guns”, Susan Pompeo, and Don’t Forget Sherman). On July 2nd, the State Department issued a Message from Secretary Pompeo on Ethics.
Message from the Secretary on Ethics in Government
I recently unveiled our new Professional Ethos to the State Department team. This set of shared operating principles and core values reflects the unique spirit and excellence of the U.S. Department of State. The ethos reflects my expectation that every member of our team must act with uncompromising personal and professional integrity. That includes holding ourselves accountable for complying with U.S. government ethics rules and modeling our commitment to a high standard of ethics at all times.
As part of demonstrating our personal and professional integrity, I expect employees to avoid conflicts of interest in our work, to act impartially, and to avoid using our public offices for private gain. Because we serve the American people first and foremost, it must be clear that our conduct of foreign policy is guided solely by the national interest and not by personal considerations or improper motives. I expect employees to file all required financial disclosure reports on time and to take mandatory ethics training. Some of these tasks can be time-consuming, but the values underlying these requirements are central to our professional ethos and underscore our mission orientation: that we are motivated by our commitment to public service and aim to advance the national interest, rather than any personal interest, in everything we do.
We maintain this ethos of integrity and accountability with the support of our Ethics Office and assistance from supervisors, management officers at posts overseas, and our executive offices here in Washington. We each have a personal obligation to comply with our government ethics rules. But, as in every aspect of our work, we support each other as a team. I encourage all Department employees to reach out for guidance when an ethical dilemma comes your way. The Department offers many resources to help employees ensure that they are complying with ethics rules. There are detailed provisions in the Foreign Affairs Manual, a staff of ethics professionals to answer questions, online training courses, and the EthicsAttorneyMailbox@state.gov, which provides rapid responses to specific ethics questions.
Performing our jobs with integrity supports our credibility and makes us more effective at our jobs. We can and should take pride in a culture of ethics at the State Department. I greatly appreciate your commitment to integrity and to serving the American people as we advance our foreign policy mission around the world.
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U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Mrs. Susan Pompeo wave as they depart, Brasila, Brazil, January 2, 2019. Secretary Pompeo is on travel to Brasilia, Brazil, and Cartagena, Colombia, from December 31, 2018, to January 2, 2019. [State Department photo by Ron Pryzsucha/ Public Domain]

U.S. Ambassador to Japan William F. Hagerty IV Resigns to Run For U.S. Senate

July 29, 2019 By in Ambassadors, chargé d’affaires, DCM, EAP|East Asia, Elections, Political Appointees, Politics, State Department, Trump, U.S. Senate Tags: , , , , ,

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On July 16, the US Embassy in Tokyo issues a statement concerning the expected resignation of Ambassador William F. Hagerty IV:
U.S. Ambassador to Japan William F. Hagerty IV is in the process of resigning as Ambassador. He was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to Japan on July 27, 2017 and will have served approximately two years.
Ambassador Hagerty is honored to have represented the President and the American people in his work to advance the U.S.-Japan Alliance, the cornerstone of peace and prosperity in the Pacific.
Upon Ambassador Hagerty’s departure, Joseph M. Young will assume duties as the U.S. Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires ad interim.
Ambassador Hagerty reportedly departed post on July 22, 2019.
According to Embassy Tokyo, CDA Young became Chargé d’Affaires ad interim on July 20, 2019. Below is his brief bio:
CDA Joseph M. Young began his tenure as Deputy Chief of Mission on August 17, 2017. Mr. Young, a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, previously served as Director for Japanese Affairs at the Department of State from August 2014. From 2012 to 2014, he was Deputy Foreign Policy Advisor for the U.S. Pacific Command. Mr. Young served as Political-Military Unit Chief at U.S. Embassy Tokyo from 2009 to 2012.
Mr. Young’s other assignments include: Political-Economic Section Chief, U.S. Embassy Dublin (2004-2007); Aviation Negotiations Officer in the State Department’s Economics Bureau (2002-2004); Economics Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy Beijing (1999-2002); Economics Research at the Foreign Service Institute (1996-1997); Political Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy Nairobi (1994-1996); and Consular Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy Singapore (1991-1993).
Mr. Young holds a master’s degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree in Classics from Borromeo College. He speaks Japanese and Chinese. Mr. Young is married and has three daughters.

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GFM Campaign Ends on August 5: It looks like we’re coming to the end of the line …

July 29, 2019 By in Blognotes Tags: ,
It looks like we’re coming to the end of the line. We’ve purposely limited the fundraising to a 60-day campaign because we don’t want to be distracted by raising funds for the rest of the year. We wanted to get it done and put it behind us. But our campaign is proceeding slowly and running out of time. It is likely that we may not reach our goal by August 5. So … such is life. Either 10,500 readers/subscribers/followers find the blog useful or they don’t.
For the 235 funders who came out to support the blog during this fundraising and during our previous efforts, we thank you. We are grateful for your continued support and your kind words. Below we are sharing some of the notes that we’ve received during this campaign. Sending love to all (no, I’m not crying, just something in my eyes).

 

 

“Diplopundit is a terrific blog that adds value consistently.”
“Thanks for covering the FS world. Not many places cover it with any context.”
“I find your blog informative and entertaining.”
“Please hang in there, you’re irreplaceable in this dire diplomatic age.”
“It’s the correct thing to support independent freedom of speech.”
“Accountability is important.”
“I enjoy updates. Avoid letting them get snarky.”
“Your independent coverage of news from the State Department is invaluable.”
“Diplopundit keeps us honest and is an indispensable service to public servants”
“The blog continues to report without opining or defaulting to partisan excuses.”
“I donated because it’s important to have accurate information at the appropriate time.”
“I believe in what blog is doing and I feel strongly about need for knowing all we can about what goes on at State. Sadly, these days, there’s not much good, if anything, to cite. All the more reason to watch closely. Huge mistakes are being made. No telling how repairs will be made…or if?”
“I’m a DOS retiree and live in total fear.”
“I donated because I’ve followed your blog for years.”
“You do a fantastic job of selecting and reporting on topics of particular and timely interest to the FS crowd.”
“Diplopundit is irreplaceable.”
“This is a fantastic blog.”
“It takes seven blind men to see an elephant.”
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“Diplopundit matters, we on the inside can trust her to uphold the core values of the Department of State.”
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“I value Diplopundit”
“Valuable, independent, below and inside the headlines.”
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“You provide a useful service to the FS community. Keep up the good work.”
“I enjoy reading about the State Department.”
“Diplopundit continues to do a fantastic job providing informed and independent coverage of State Department, USAID goings on. And is the only such source. A rare light in a sea of otherwise darkness. We would feel the loss.”
“I donated because Diplopundit is informative, specially on issues not reported elsewhere.”
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“invaluable service over a long period of time”
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“… it’s totally the right thing to do. Gripe on!!!”
“Diplopundit is a must-read.”
“Please keep up the great work-Diplopundit shines a light where needed!”
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“I love knowing what is really go on. It’s the anti-swagger.”
“Keeping up with State Department news is vital for the public. Blogging is 4th state in the 21st century and needs to be supported.”
“Keep up the good work.”
“Democracy dies in darkness.”
“Thank you for all the work you do! I’ve been reading your site since before I started A100 and I very much appreciate your honesty about foreign service and US policy.”
“You need to keep blogging.”
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“Appreciation for your good, long service as Diplopundit for all of us interested in your reporting on State Dept and foreign affairs.”

 

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