*EPF413 05/02/2002
Text: Protecting Americans Abroad Requires Combined Efforts
(State Department security official gives Senate testimony) (3030)

American citizens abroad will continue to be potential targets of terrorists as long as there are those who are "determined to exploit any void in our security or our collective will," the State Department's principal deputy assistant secretary for diplomatic security (DS) said May 2.

Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on International Operations and Terrorism, Peter Bergin said the protection of Americans outside the United States depends upon a variety of security programs and liaison activities to produce a deterrent effect. However, the system "also places responsibility on the traveler, employee or dependent to take advantage of available information," he said.

In his prepared remarks, Bergin said the Diplomatic Security bureau receives more than 4,000 threats each year and must investigate all of them. "Life-safety issues don't permit us the luxury of choosing which to investigate," he said.

Bergin spoke about several programs DS operates or participates in so as to provide the necessary web of protection:

-- Protective Intelligence Investigations Division: Part of the DS bureau, this office investigates terrorist threats against personnel and facilities under the State Department's aegis.

-- Joint Terrorist Task Forces: DS agents currently participate in 14 of these domestic groups whose focus now includes terrorism overseas. They soon will add agents to five more groups, Bergin said.

-- Rewards for Justice Program: The DS bureau is the "operational component" of this effort, which has played a role in capturing 22 persons responsible for planning or carrying out terrorist acts against Americans, Bergin said.

-- Antiterrorism Assistance Program: Since 1983, this program has provided training for more than 28,000 foreign law enforcement personnel from more than 100 countries, Bergin said.

-- Overseas Security Advisory Council: Established in 1986, it has 2,100 members overseas, and acts as a clearinghouse to verify and exchange information among private-sector entities, Bergin said.

Following is a text of Bergin's remarks:

(begin text)

PETER E. BERGIN
PRINCIPAL DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE
FOR DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
AND DIRECTOR OF THE DIPLOMATIC SECURITY SERVICE

SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS AND TERRORISM

MAY 2, 2002

I am pleased to participate in this hearing on the important subject of protecting our citizens overseas. The President and the Secretary of State have made clear, and the President's proposed budget reflects, that protection of U.S. Government personnel serving abroad is a top priority. The Diplomatic Security Service has a major role in ensuring their protection. Having just heard from my colleague regarding her Bureau's efforts in protecting Americans working and traveling overseas, I would like to spend a little time discussing my Bureau's role.

As Director of the Diplomatic Security Service, I have a full appreciation for both successes and vulnerabilities in the overseas security arena. While the East Africa bombings are etched in our minds, the tragic events of September 11 serve to demonstrate our vulnerabilities here at home. Our resolve and response to the attacks should serve as a warning to our adversaries. However, there will continue to be those who are determined to exploit any void in our security or our collective will. Certainly our citizens abroad would then be considered potential targets.

While America was the target that day, there was every expectation that a U.S. interest abroad, either government or private, would also be targeted. Embassy by embassy security was assessed, enhancements incorporated and additional agents deployed to embassies considered most at risk. Inherent in the process was maximized communication within each embassy and coordination with the Department on a continual basis. DS [Diplomatic Security] focused primarily on the embassy community, but as my statement will address, we were also working with our colleagues in Consular Affairs to address the greater American presence security issues.

Regardless of the political climate, such as that which followed September 11, the protection of our citizens overseas is largely dependent on a system of safeguards, established relationships, intelligence sharing, communication, and dedication on the part of all those involved. This system also places responsibility on the traveler, employee, or dependent to take advantage of available information. The men and women of the Department take pride in their "protective" role, but it remains a collaborative effort, relying on multiple factors.

It is also important to understand that the goal of safety is met on a daily basis, not generally by remarkable efforts, but rather indirectly through a variety of seamless efforts, the results of which cannot easily be quantified. Those efforts, in the form of a variety of programs and liaison activities, provide a deterrent effect.

Regardless of our collective vigilance, there will continue to be threats made against American interests. We receive more than 4,000 threats each year, a significant portion originating overseas. They range from anonymous bomb threats and kidnapping plots to embassy attacks and assassinations. Life-safety issues don't permit us the luxury of choosing which to investigate. We dedicate our resources and coalesce the resources of other law enforcement and government agencies to acquire, assess, and use information received in a timely responsible manner.

As the Department's security and law enforcement component, DS has a broad mission, but its primary function is to provide a secure environment for the safe conduct of foreign affairs. The Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-399) directs DS to be responsible for the protection of personnel, facilities and information. That mission is divided into investigative and protective operations, each of which has links to significant life-safety issues. While it is impractical to list all programs, I would like to give a brief overview of a few of our programs that fall within today's focus.

We provide protection for the Secretary of State, for resident and visiting foreign dignitaries, and for foreign missions in the United States. Our investigative authority includes passport and visa fraud, clearly crimes that facilitate terrorist and other criminal attacks against our national interests, both overseas and domestically. Our Protective Intelligence Investigations Division (PII) is responsible for investigations involving terrorist threats and activities directed at personnel and facilities worldwide, that we are responsible for protecting. We also participate in 14 of the Joint Terrorist Task Forces (JTTF), with agents now being added to five more JTTFs. While located domestically, the task forces have become an integral part of America's response to terrorism overseas as well. The DS-JTTF role focuses on our ability to use our worldwide platform to further the JTTFs' goals in an exigent manner.

In close cooperation with the FBI and other agencies, our counterintelligence program is designed to deter foreign intelligence efforts directed against our personnel and facilities worldwide. In addition, DS is the operational component for the Rewards for Justice Program, which has had a role in the capture of 22 persons responsible for planning or executing terrorist acts against Americans. Rewards are provided for information relating to an attack or the prevention of an attack.

In addition, the Antiterrorism Assistance (ATA) Program has proven to be a vital coalition-building effort, paying security dividends for Americans. In cooperation with the Department's Office of Counterterrorism, which provides policy guidance, the ATA program provides America's first line of defense against terrorism overseas. Since first authorized by the Congress in 1983, ATA has provided training for 28,000 foreign law enforcement officials from more than 100 countries. It has built productive relationships and provided a platform for exchanges of significant, timely information, a portion of which has relevance to the safety of Americans in that particular country or region. The ATA objectives include: Enhancing the antiterrorism skills of friendly countries by providing training and equipment to both deter and counter threats of terrorism; strengthening the bilateral ties of the United States with friendly foreign governments by offering training assistance in areas of mutual concern; increasing respect for human rights by sharing with civilian authorities modern, humane, and effective antiterrorism techniques.

The training of foreign officials is invaluable in efforts to provide protection for Americans overseas. By improving a country's ability to defend its territory against terrorism and other criminal activities, the ATA program improves protection and security for Americans living and traveling abroad.

The events of September 11 demonstrated the need to maximize training opportunities, particularly for those designated as frontline countries. It has resulted in congressional approval of a significant ramping-up of the ATA program, both in terms of course offerings and numbers of participants. As an example, courses such as Introduction to Cyber-Terrorism, First Responder, and Criminal Information Management Systems are being integrated as course offerings. More than 3,000 participants will be trained this year. Efforts to accommodate still additional training classes continue.

I would suggest that the Homeland Security initiative also benefits from ATA training. We can no longer protect our country from our borders alone. Rather, we must look to halt foreign terrorist activity, where it begins. The ability of foreign law enforcement to interdict terrorists and other criminals abroad, results in our shores and our families being made safer. That said, the more effective Homeland Security programs are in protecting against domestic attacks, the greater the potential that a "softer," more accessible American interest target overseas will be at least probed by our adversaries. That reality is a reason to remain vigilant and leverage every available resource from both the public and private sectors in addressing that environment as well.

To that end, a well-established and proven government-private sector partnership continues to be recognized for both its current value and its potential. The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) established in 1986, is an ever-evolving mechanism for the sharing of security expertise and information between the Department and the private sector. Its goal is to maintain close liaison between the U.S. government and U.S. businesses; thereby providing an excellent conduit for the exchange of security information with and among U.S. companies, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions and other private entities; so they can make informed decisions about how to best protect their people, facilities, investments and intellectual property overseas. As the threat of terrorism to American interests increases, the value of the entire effort has taken on added significance. Organized criminal efforts against both our citizens and our businesses require a maximum effort to both prevent and mitigate the damage caused by the targeting of Americans. We understand the mission and we, together with our partners in Consular Affairs and the private sector, accept the challenge on a daily basis.

The safety of both government and non-government employees and dependents living abroad has direct linkage to the tenets of OSAC. The thousands of employees or representatives of U.S. international businesses or organizations abroad, U.S. citizens, and host- or third-country nationals, represent a source of information which may be pertinent to the security of the personnel and facilities of other U.S. partners. OSAC, which is proud of its more than 2,100-member corporations and organizations, acts as the clearinghouse for the vetting and exchange of information among private-sector entities.

The council itself is composed of 30 private-sector representatives from a very diverse group of businesses, such as financial, airlines, pharmaceuticals, consumables, high-tech, as well as government representatives from the Departments of State, Commerce, Treasury, and the Agency for International Development. In addition, there are seven government Technical Advisors from: the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Security Agency, the National Counterintelligence Center, the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and U.S. Customs. To be inclusive, The Maritime Security Council is also a Technical Advisor addressing maritime security issues affecting cruise lines and maritime travel.

In this remarkable coalition, with broad representation across the government and the private sector, security needs transcend parochial interests. The concept is not ad-hoc, or convened by a particular threat or disaster, but rather a seasoned, tested organization of professionals, each of which serves from 2-4 years. To date more than 60 firms have served on the council at the invitation of the Secretary of State.

As importantly, the OSAC concept encourages the establishment of Country Councils, which provide a forum for concerns to be addressed at the local or regional level. Currently there are OSAC Country Councils in 45 cities around the world. The composition of each includes host-country, and U.S.- or third-country executives with security responsibilities for U.S. firms. The Embassy Regional Security Officer (RSO) and a private-sector representative co-chair the council. Embassy support from the Ambassador, the Foreign Commercial Service, Consular American Citizen Services, and the economic or political sections adds to the sum.

What is also critical in the OSAC partnership is that every effort is made to leverage technology on our behalf. Our adversaries now have almost unlimited access to technology. We must also take full advantage. For example, the OSAC Internet site (http://www.ds-osac.org) focuses on security issues and contains press reporting from around the world, unclassified embassy reporting, information on overseas contacts. It also gives readers information on groups prone to violence, upcoming global events anniversary dates, information on cyber terrorism, a template for crisis planning and response, and other specialized topics. An average of 60 new entries are made each day. This Diplomatic Security-managed site is user-friendly, has a high-speed search engine, an interactive component and receives about 30,000 hits per week.

Further, OSAC publishes and distributes material prepared by security practitioners in business and government to the private sector. Publications such as: Emergency Planning Guidelines for American Businesses Abroad, Security Guidelines for Families and Children, Protecting U.S. Business Information Overseas and A Practical Guide to Responding to a Biological or Chemical Threat are all available on the Web site or in hard copy.

The daily operation of OSAC programs falls to the Research and Information Support Center (RISC). While candidly lean, it is most effective. RISC is staffed by six security specialists who are experts in their respective regions; and dedicated exclusively to the U.S. overseas private sector. This staff of analysts is the focal point for the exchange of information on security related incidents overseas between the Department of State and the private sector in the United States. The RISC is able to provide any enterprise incorporated in the United States doing business abroad with timely security-related information of an unclassified nature. The analysts average 200 consultations per month with U.S. private-sector organizations.

Analysts search the world media every day and post relevant information on the OSAC Web site of security or business interest to our constituency, including material they translate from foreign-language dailies. They also review unclassified State Department cables from embassies around the world and abstract and post items of interest. They are looking not just at events but at the political, economic and social atmospherics which may impact U.S. business decisions. They take the next step with the information and distill the implications for U.S. organizations, companies, and their personnel and financial assets abroad. Their commitment and abilities, coupled with multiple support entities, has direct impact on Americans.

I previously mentioned that OSAC had proven its worth, but also had visions for the future. I would like to share just two examples. Each relates to this committee's interests in this hearing.

One current initiative is directed toward educational institutions. OSAC, joined by the Bureau of Consular Affairs, has formed the University Working Group to coordinate to develop safety programs and establish "best practices" guidelines to increase security awareness for students and faculty traveling and studying abroad. The University Working Group will share their results with colleges and universities throughout the country. The schools represented on the University Working Group are: Pepperdine University, University of Louisville, Ohio State University, Arcadia University, University of Southern California and Michigan State University.

Another initiative underway involves training. OSAC has worked with the Department of State's Overseas Briefing Center to make available to the private sector a two-day program to prepare employees from the private sector to live and work overseas. It is very similar to the training that State Department and other USG employees receive, although it is being customized for a private-sector audience. The course covers topics such as personal security, cross-cultural issues and security, specific tactics and trends and what the U.S. Embassy can and can't do for persons living or traveling abroad.

I have taken this opportunity to share with you just a few of the program areas that are intended to provide our citizens overseas with an increased level of safety. However, from a Diplomatic Security perspective, it would be shortsighted on my part, not to directly address the mission of the men and women who serve overseas as Regional Security Officers, engineers or technical security experts.

It is the RSO and their staff who remain the primary U.S. law enforcement point of contact at more than 250 Missions. They are the linchpins for security and law enforcement issues impacting the physical safety of U.S. citizens abroad. While we in DS hold each RSO to a high standard of performance, they continually evidence their willingness to place themselves in harm's way for people whom they don't know, and probably will never see again.

As with most security operations, unless there is a tragic outcome, we will never read of the initiative shown by our personnel or others on an embassy roll. The efforts made by the RSO and others in the Daniel Pearl case, or recent rescues of Americans in Jerusalem, while known within the Department, received no direct media attention. I raise these issues, to assure the committee that this Secretary, and the Department as a whole, takes the responsibility for Americans' safety as a solemn duty.

In spite of our dedication and resources, there will be circumstances and vulnerabilities, which result in attacks against Americans overseas. However, none will be the result of our indifference or lack of trying!

Mrs. Boxer, I thank you and the other members of the committee for being given the opportunity to appear here. I would now be happy to answer any questions you or the other Members may have.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

Return to Public File Main Page

Return to Public Table of Contents