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The [Near East Asian] bureau [of the US Department of State] was required to staff two 24/7 task forces and a number of 'shadow task forces' through mid-March, in large part to make sure that the evacuations of the U.S. citizens from Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, and Yemen proceeded smoothly, and to manage the effects of additional Wikileaks disclosures of purported embassy cables.
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The US Ambassador to Tripoli, withdrawn due to security concerns in the aftermath of the Wikileaks affair, continued to work on policy toward Libya and to lead U.S. interaction with the Libyan opposition. Ironically, the evacuations in Egypt and Libya provided the bureau with much-needed help, as evacuees from Embassy Cairo and Tripoli were available in Washington.
Domestically, NEA has 321 employees. Overseas, 1,346 U.S. direct-hire and 7,007 locally employed staff work in 17 U.S. missions in the region. The total FY 2010 budget resources (domestic and overseas) for NEA were $1.2 billion (excluding salaries for direct-hire Americans).
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WikiLeaks
The 2010 Wikileaks disclosures of purported Department cables generated more information attributed to NEA posts than to any other region. The disclosures had an immediate impact on U.S. relations with all NEA countries, and a profound impact on some. The U.S. Ambassador in Tripoli was quickly recalled after a particularly strong reaction from the Libyan Government. The designated DAS [Deputy Assistant Secretary] ably led NEA's response to the WikiLeaks publicity, which included a task force to review the damage, summarize reactions from all posts, and prepare the Secretary for potentially difficult conversations with foreign officials in the affected countries. The head of NEA's task force participated in the Department's Wikileaks task force. In coordination with the Bureau of Public Affairs, NEA's public diplomacy staff developed an innovative initiative, in which former ambassadors were deployed to educate audiences about the role of cable traffic in the conduct of American foreign policy. The bureau also coordinated with senior DOD officials traveling to the region to reinforce with foreign partners the importance of continuing to work closely on issues of mutual concern. As Wikileaks cable disclosures continue, the regional affairs staff leads a bureau-wide effort to evaluate the risks of compromised cables, give advice to U.S. embassies, and maintain a log of Wikileaks actions. The inspection team heard numerous comments from NEA staff about how the WikiLeaks experience has inhibited communications by cable, as well as emails, between posts and the Department. |
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Agency(ies): |
Office of Inspections, Broadcasting Board of Governors, Office of Inspector General, Department of State |
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Concerning: |
WikiLeaks 24/7 Task Force |
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Url: |
Url Link
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