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State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY 2013 Budget and Appropriations [October 4, 2012]
"The 112th Congress is considering FY2013 international affairs funding within the context of the Budget Control Act (P.L. 112-25) that established discretionary spending limits for FY2012- FY2021 and contains automatic budget reductions (sequestration) on discretionary spending to begin on January 2, 2013. [...] Many expect a delay in passing the FY2013 foreign affairs budget and most of the other appropriations bills until after the November 2012 elections (two months into the new fiscal year), which may have more to do with election year politics, however, than lawmakers' differing views on foreign affairs spending. On February 13, 2012, the Obama Administration submitted its FY2013 budget proposal. The FY2013 request totals $54.87 billion for the State-Foreign Operations appropriations […]. Within the budget process, the Administration is requesting authority in addition to appropriations ($770 million) for a new account--the Middle East and North Africa Incentive Fund (MENA IF)--to provide flexible and transparent support for Arab Spring countries in transition toward democracy. The request includes $8.2 billion for the front line states of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (including $800 million for the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund (PCCF) […]). This report analyzes the FY2013 request and congressional action related to FY2013 State- Foreign Operations legislation. Updates will occur to reflect congressional actions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tiersky, Alex L.; Epstein, Susan B.; Lawson, Marian Leonardo
2012-10-04
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Fact Sheet: The FY2013 State and Foreign Operations Budget Request [March 19, 2012]
On February 13, 2012, the Obama Administration submitted its FY2013 budget request, including $54.7 billion for State Department, Foreign Operations, and Related Appropriations. Of the total request, $18.6 billion is for programs funded through the State operations and related agencies (a 4.6% increase over FY2012 estimates), and $36.1 billion is for foreign operations (a 0.1% increase over FY2012 estimates). This fact sheet provides a brief overview of the request. A full CRS [Congressional Research Service] report on FY2013 State and Foreign Operations budget and appropriations issues is planned to follow initial congressional consideration of appropriations legislation."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Epstein, Susan B.; Lawson, Marian Leonardo; Tiersky, Alex L.
2012-03-19
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Fact Sheet: The FY2013 State and Foreign Operations Budget Request [April 26, 2012]
"On February 13, 2012, the Obama Administration submitted its FY2013 budget request, including $54.7 billion in new budget authority for State Department, Foreign Operations, and Related Appropriations. Of the total request, $18.6 billion is for programs funded through the State operations and related agencies (a 4.6% increase over FY2012 estimates), and $36.1 billion is for foreign operations (a 0.1% increase over FY2012 estimates). This fact sheet provides a brief overview of the request. A full CRS [Congressional Research Service] report on FY2013 State and Foreign Operations budget and appropriations issues is planned to follow initial congressional consideration of appropriations legislation."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Epstein, Susan B.; Lawson, Marian Leonardo; Tiersky, Alex L.
2012-04-26
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FY2014 State and Foreign Operations Budget Request [April 18, 2013]
"On April 10, 2013, the Obama Administration submitted to Congress its budget request for FY2014. The request for State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs totals $51.97 billion (2.7% below the FY2012 actual funding level of $53.43 billion, including the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Fund and before rescissions), of which $3.81 billion is for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding (66% below FY2012 actual OCO funding of $11.2 billion). Of the total request, $16.87 billion is for State Department Operations and related agencies (a 6.3% decline from FY2012 funding) and $35.1 billion is for Foreign Operations (a 0.9% decline from the FY2012 level). Comparisons in this report will be with FY2012 actual funding levels, since the final FY2013 funding levels are not yet available and the Administration has yet to provide definitive guidance on how savings, if any, in the FY2013 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act (P.L. 113-6) are to be credited in relation to the sequestration ordered on March 1, 2013. In addition, the FY2013 estimates do not include the additional across-the-board percentage rescission calculated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), as required by Section 3004 in Division G of P.L. 113-6, in order to meet the FY2013 spending limits of the Budget Control Act of 2011, as amended. This report provides a brief overview of the FY2014 State Department, Foreign Operations and Related Programs funding request."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Epstein, Susan B.; Lawson, Marian Leonardo; Tiersky, Alex L.
2013-04-18
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Iraq Crisis and U.S. Policy [July 21, 2014]
"The offensive in northern and central Iraq, led by the Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group the Islamic State (IS) has raised significant concerns for the United States. These concerns include a possible breakup of Iraq's political and territorial order and the establishment of a potential base for terrorist attacks in the region or even against the U.S. homeland. The crisis has raised several questions for U.S. policy because it represents the apparent unraveling of a seemingly stable and secure Iraq that was in place when U.S. combat troops departed Iraq at the end of 2011. Some months after the U.S. departure, the uprising in Syria among some elements of the Sunni Arab community there facilitated the reemergence of IS in areas of Syria and in its original base in Iraq. After late 2011, the Sunni community grew increasingly restive as Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki marginalized senior Sunni leaders, and the skills and capabilities of the Iraq Security Forces deteriorated. Many Sunnis in Iraq oppose IS's tactics and attempts to impose Islamic law, but support it as a vanguard against what they characterize as an oppressive Shiite-dominated national government."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth; Humud, Carla E.; Blanchard, Christopher M. . . .
2014-07-21
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Iraq Crisis and U.S. Policy [June 20, 2014]
"The offensive in northern and central Iraq, led by the Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, aka ISIS), has raised significant concerns for the United States. These concerns include a possible breakup of Iraq's political and territorial order and the establishment of a potential base for terrorist attacks in the region or even against the U.S. homeland. The crisis has raised several questions for U.S. policy because it represents the apparent unraveling of a seemingly stable and secure Iraq that was in place when U.S. combat troops departed Iraq at the end of 2011. Some months after the U.S. departure, the uprising in Syria among some elements of the Sunni Arab community there facilitated the reemergence of ISIL in areas of Syria and in its original base in Iraq. After late 2011, the Sunni community grew increasingly restive as Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki marginalized senior Sunni leaders, and the skills and capabilities of the Iraq Security Forces deteriorated. Many Sunnis in Iraq oppose ISIL's tactics and attempts to impose Islamic law, but support it as a vanguard against what they characterize as an oppressive Shiite-dominated national government."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth; Humud, Carla E.; Blanchard, Christopher M. . . .
2014-06-20
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Iraq Crisis and U.S. Policy [July 3, 2014]
"The offensive in northern and central Iraq, led by the Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, aka ISIS), has raised significant concerns for the United States. These concerns include a possible breakup of Iraq's political and territorial order and the establishment of a potential base for terrorist attacks in the region or even against the U.S. homeland. The crisis has raised several questions for U.S. policy because it represents the apparent unraveling of a seemingly stable and secure Iraq that was in place when U.S. combat troops departed Iraq at the end of 2011. Some months after the U.S. departure, the uprising in Syria among some elements of the Sunni Arab community there facilitated the reemergence of ISIL in areas of Syria and in its original base in Iraq. After late 2011, the Sunni community grew increasingly restive as Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki marginalized senior Sunni leaders, and the skills and capabilities of the Iraq Security Forces deteriorated. Many Sunnis in Iraq oppose ISIL's tactics and attempts to impose Islamic law, but support it as a vanguard against what they characterize as an oppressive Shiite-dominated national government."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth; Humud, Carla E.; Blanchard, Christopher M. . . .
2014-07-03
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'Islamic State' Crisis and U.S. Policy [October 22, 2014]
"The Islamic State is a transnational Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group that has expanded its control over areas of parts of Iraq and Syria since 2013. It threatens the governments of both countries and potentially several other countries in the region, and has drawn increased attention from the international community. There is debate over the degree to which the Islamic State organization might represent a direct terrorist threat to the U.S. homeland or to U.S. facilities and personnel in the region. The forerunner of the Islamic State (IS) was part of the insurgency against coalition forces in Iraq, and the organization has in the years since the 2011 U.S. withdrawal from Iraq expanded its control over significant areas of both Iraq and Syria. The Islamic State has thrived in the disaffected Sunni tribal areas of Iraq and in the remote provinces of Syria torn by the civil war. Since early 2014, Islamic State-led forces, supported by Sunni Arab tribalists and groups linked to ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, have advanced along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, seizing multiple population centers including Mosul, one of Iraq's largest cities. Since then, IS forces have massacred Syrian adversaries and Iraqi civilians, often from ethnic or religious minorities, and recently executed two American journalists who the group had captured while they were working in Syria. As of October 2014, Islamic State fighters also have come close to capturing a key Kurdish enclave in northern Syria."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tiersky, Alex L.; Margesson, Rhoda; Humud, Carla E. . . .
2014-10-22
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Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) [August 27, 2014]
"On April 22, 2014, Secretary of State Kerry announced the launch of the second Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) saying, 'This is a review of how we've been doing things, but it's also a preview of what State and USAID [U.S. Agency for International Development] need to do in order to put the United States of America in the strongest position to face the challenges and seize the opportunities of tomorrow. This is what we owe to the American people, and we owe it to their elected representatives on Capitol Hill who approve the budget that we live by.'"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tiersky, Alex L.; Epstein, Susan B.
2014-08-27
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'Islamic State' Crisis and U.S. Policy [September 11, 2014]
"The Islamic State is a transnational Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group that has expanded its control over areas of northwestern Iraq and northeastern Syria since 2013, threatening the security of both countries and drawing increased attention from the international community. There is debate over the degree to which the Islamic State [IS] organization might represent a direct terrorist threat to the U.S. homeland or to U.S. facilities and personnel in the region. [...] In September 10, President Obama announced a multifaceted strategy to 'degrade, and ultimately destroy' the Islamic State organization. The announced strategy is for the United States to lead and expand a multilateral coalition that will undertake direct military action, provide support for partner ground forces in Iraq and Syria, gather and share intelligence and use financial measures to try to progressively shrink the geographic and political space, manpower, and financial resources available to the Islamic State. The Administration and its allies all have ruled out deploying combat forces to either Iraq or Syria. Some assert that the U.S. strategy will attract the support of Sunnis in both Syria and Iraq in a broad effort to defeat the Islamic State. Others assess that the strategy might have minimal effect because local anti-IS forces will not have support from U.S. or other western combat troops. For details on Islamic State operations in Iraq and U.S. policy toward Iraq since the 2003 U.S. invasion, see CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report RS21968, 'Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights', by Kenneth Katzman. For further information on the Islamic State's operations in Syria, see CRS Report RL33487, 'Armed Conflict in Syria: Overview and U.S. Response', coordinated by Christopher M. Blanchard."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth; Humud, Carla E.; Blanchard, Christopher M. . . .
2014-09-11
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'Islamic State' Crisis and U.S. Policy [November 12, 2014]
"The Islamic State is a transnational Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group that has expanded its control over areas of parts of Iraq and Syria since 2013. It threatens the governments of both countries and potentially several other countries in the region, and has drawn a military response from the international community. There is debate over the degree to which the Islamic State organization might represent a direct terrorist threat to the U.S. homeland or to U.S. facilities and personnel in the region. The forerunner of the Islamic State (IS) was part of the insurgency against coalition forces in Iraq, and the organization has in the years since the 2011 U.S. withdrawal from Iraq expanded its control over significant areas of both Iraq and Syria. The Islamic State has thrived in the disaffected Sunni tribal areas of Iraq and in the remote provinces of Syria torn by the civil war. Since early 2014, Islamic State-led forces, supported by groups linked to ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and many Sunni Arab tribalists, have advanced along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, seizing multiple population centers including Mosul, one of Iraq's largest cities. […] The Islamic State's tactics have drawn the ire of the international community, increasing U.S. attention on Iraq's political problems and on the civil war in Syria. On September 10, President Obama announced a series of actions intended to 'degrade, and ultimately destroy' the Islamic State organization. […] Several of the regional coalition members apparently seek an expansion of the U.S.-led mission to include an effort to oust President Bashar al Asad of Syria, arguing that the Islamic State cannot be defeated until the Syrian political situation is altered."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Weed, Matthew C.; Tiersky, Alex L.; Margesson, Rhoda . . .
2014-11-12
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Iraq Crisis and U.S. Policy [August 8, 2014]
"The offensive in northern and central Iraq led by the Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIL/ISIS) has raised significant concerns for the United States and precipitated new U.S. military action in Iraq. U.S. concerns include a possible breakup of Iraq's political and territorial order; the establishment of a potential base for terrorist attacks in the region or even against the U.S. homeland; the potential for a humanitarian catastrophe; and direct threats to the approximately 5,000 U.S. personnel in Iraq. The crisis has raised several questions for U.S. policy because it represents the apparent unraveling of a seemingly stable and secure Iraq that was in place when U.S. combat troops departed Iraq at the end of 2011. The Islamic State offensive into Kurdish-controlled territory in early August has caused the United States to become reengaged militarily in Iraq. The Administration has said its intervention will remain limited and will not result in a deployment of U.S. ground troops back into Iraq. The Administration also has engaged in humanitarian air drops to members of minority communities in northern Iraq that fled the IS onslaught."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tiersky, Alex L.; Margesson, Rhoda; Blanchard, Christopher M. . . .
2014-08-08
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2014 Sochi Winter Olympics: Security and Human Rights Issues [January 26, 2014]
"Since the 2007 selection of Sochi as the site of Olympic Games, many observers, including some in Congress, have raised concerns about security and human rights conditions in Sochi and elsewhere in Russia. Sochi is in Russia's North Caucasus area, which has experienced ongoing terrorist incidents, including several bombings in recent weeks. Through hearings, legislation, oversight, and other action, some Members of Congress have expressed concerns over Russia's hosting of the Sochi Olympic Games and Paralympics, particularly the risks that terrorism and human rights violations might pose to U.S. athletes and visitors. Other broader congressional concerns have included whether the United States should participate in the Games in the face of increasing tensions in U.S.-Russia relations and the Russian government's growing restrictions on the civil and human rights of its citizens. Some Members of Congress have called for boycotting the Games. Others have cautioned that U.S. citizens should carefully weigh the security risks of attending, and have urged greater U.S.-Russia counter-terrorism cooperation to ameliorate threats to the Games. In the period during and after the Games, Congress may continue to exercise oversight and otherwise raise concerns about the safety and human rights treatment of U.S. athletes and visitors and the impact of the Games and other developments in Russia on the future of U.S.-Russia relations. On January 24, 2014, a senior Administration official stressed that the full resources of the U.S. government were being readied to support U.S. athletes, the official delegations, and other citizens attending the Games."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Nichol, James P.; Halchin, L. Elaine; Rollins, John . . .
2014-01-26
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Attack Against the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea [March 10, 2015]
"At a March 5 breakfast meeting in Seoul, a South Korean man attacked U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert with a knife, sending the Ambassador to the hospital with deep cuts on his face, fingers, and wrist. Lippert required surgery, including 80 stitches on his face. He was discharged on March 10 and is expected to make a complete recovery. Many Korean dignitaries, including President Park Geun-hye and the heads of South Korea's ruling party and main opposition party, visited Lippert in the hospital. South Korean authorities arrested the attacker, Kim Ki-jong, on attempted murder and other charges. At the scene and later through his lawyer, Kim said he acted alone to protest large-scale annual U.S.- South Korean military exercises, which he said hinder inter-Korean dialogue and efforts for reunification. Kim is the director of a left-wing nationalist civic group. He has a history of involvement in anti-U.S. protests, has expressed support for pro-North Korean causes, and was convicted in 2010 for throwing cement blocks at the Japanese ambassador to South Korea. Within days following the incident, charges mounted that the Park government and its conservative base were exploiting the attack to undermine domestic opposition groups and rally support for the U.S.-South Korea alliance. If the perception grows that the government and ruling party politicized the attack in this way, President Park and her ruling party may find it more difficult to obtain left-of-center support on issues that matter to Washington and are controversial in South Korea."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Manyin, Mark E.; Tiersky, Alex L.
2015-03-10
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FY2017 State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Budget Request: In Brief [February 19, 2016]
"On February 9, 2016, the Obama Administration submitted to Congress its FY2017 [Fiscal Year] budget request that includes $52.78 billion in new budget authority for the State Department, Foreign Operations, and Related Appropriations (SFOPS). Of the total request, $17.05 billion is for programs funded through the State operations and related agencies (a 3.6 % increase over FY2016 estimates), and $35.74 billion is for foreign operations (-1.8 % compared with FY2016 estimates that include emergency Ebola funds). This report provides an overview and highlights of the request with an account-by-account comparison of the FY2017 request to the FY2016 estimates and FY2015 actuals in Appendix A. Appendix B provides the International Affairs 150 function funding levels."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Epstein, Susan B.; Lawson, Marian Leonardo; Tiersky, Alex L.
2016-02-19
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FY2014 State and Foreign Operations Budget Request [May 2, 2013]
"On April 10, 2013, the Obama Administration submitted to Congress its budget request for FY2014. The request for State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs totals $51.97 billion (2.7% below the FY2012 actual funding level of $53.43 billion, including the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Fund and before rescissions), of which $3.81 billion is for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding (66% below FY2012 actual OCO funding of $11.2 billion). Of the total request, $16.87 billion is for State Department Operations and related agencies (a 6.3% decline from FY2012 funding) and $35.1 billion is for Foreign Operations (a 0.9% decline from the FY2012 level). Comparisons in this report will be with FY2012 actual funding levels, since the final FY2013 funding levels are not yet available and the Administration has yet to provide definitive guidance on how savings, if any, in the FY2013 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act (P.L. 113-6) are to be credited in relation to the sequestration ordered on March 1, 2013. In addition, the FY2013 estimates do not include the additional across-the-board percentage rescission calculated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), as required by Section 3004 in Division G of P.L. 113-6, in order to meet the FY2013 spending limits of the Budget Control Act of 2011, as amended. This report provides a brief overview of the FY2014 State Department, Foreign Operations and Related Programs funding request."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Epstein, Susan B.; Lawson, Marian Leonardo; Tiersky, Alex L.
2013-05-02
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State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2016 Budget Overview [February 9, 2015]
"On February 2, 2015, the Obama Administration submitted to Congress its budget request for FY2016. The request for State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) totals $53.37 billion, or a 2.7% increase from FY2015 estimated levels. […] This report provides an overview of the FY2016 SFOPS request and account-by-account funding comparisons with FY2014 actuals and FY2015 estimates. It will be updated throughout the appropriations process."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Epstein, Susan B.; Lawson, Marian Leonardo; Tiersky, Alex L.
2015-02-09
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Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Background and Policy Issues [September 12, 2013]
"The United States maintains about 285 diplomatic facilities worldwide. Attacks on such facilities, and on U.S. diplomatic personnel, are not infrequent. The deaths of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other U.S. personnel in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012, along with attacks on U.S. embassies in Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen, drew renewed attention to the challenges facing U.S. diplomats abroad, as well as to the difficulty in balancing concerns for their security against the outreach required of their mission. Congress plays a key role in shaping the response to these challenges, such as by providing resources for diplomatic security and examining security breaches overseas. […] The rapid growth in the number of U.S. civilians deployed in high-risk environments of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan spurred significant investment in recent years in the Department of State's capacity to provide security in dangerous areas through its Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS). However, it simultaneously placed unprecedented burdens on DS's capability to carry out this mission successfully there and in other challenging locations. Most of the funding for the protection of U.S. missions abroad is provided through Worldwide Security Protection (WSP) within the State Department's Diplomatic & Consular Programs (D&CP) account and through Worldwide Security Upgrades (WSU) within the Embassy Security, Construction and Maintenance (ESCM) account. The total security funding requested for FY2014 is about $3.98 billion. This report provides background information on the organization, practice, and funding of U.S. diplomatic security efforts. It also provides summary information on the September 11, 2012, attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, as well as on the subsequent Accountability Review Board. More information on congressional and State Department actions in response to the Benghazi attack is available in CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report R43195, 'Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Legislative and Executive Branch Initiatives', by Alex Tiersky."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tiersky, Alex L.; Epstein, Susan B.
2013-09-12
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Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Legislative and Executive Branch Initiatives [December 23, 2014]
"The September 11, 2012, attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, prompted sustained congressional attention on the specific circumstances of the events in question, as well as broader questions regarding how U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities abroad are secured. Ensuring that the Department of State is better prepared for the possibility of similar attacks in the future has been a central congressional concern. The Department of State undertook a number of measures in response to the attack, including immediate steps to bolster security at posts around the world; an investigation of the incident through an Accountability Review Board; and longer-term measures implementing the board's recommendations, including requests for significantly greater funding than in recent years. Congress has conducted oversight through investigations by a number of committees and through a number of hearings. The House of Representatives voted to create a select committee on the Benghazi attack on May 8, 2014; the committee held its first hearing on September 17, 2014. Members have also put forward legislative proposals on issues ranging from the composition of Accountability Review Boards to procedures for awarding local security guard force contracts. In the 113th Congress, two wide-ranging bills incorporating many of these areas have been considered: H.R. 2848, the Department of State Operations and Embassy Security Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2014, and S. 1386, the Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty Embassy Security, Threat Mitigation, and Personnel Protection Act of 2013."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tiersky, Alex L.
2014-12-23
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Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Legislative and Executive Branch Initiatives [November 24, 2014]
"The September 11, 2012, attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, prompted sustained congressional attention on the specific circumstances of the events in question, as well as broader questions regarding how U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities abroad are secured. Ensuring that the Department of State is better prepared for the possibility of similar attacks in the future has been a central congressional concern. The Department of State undertook a number of measures in response to the attack, including immediate steps to bolster security at posts around the world; an investigation of the incident through an Accountability Review Board; and longer-term measures implementing the board's recommendations, including requests for significantly greater funding than in recent years. […] This report briefly summarizes and tracks congressional and State Department actions in response to the attack, and will be updated as necessary to reflect further developments and actions on ongoing policy proposals."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tiersky, Alex L.
2014-11-24
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Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Background and Policy Issues [July 30, 2014]
"The rapid growth in the number of U.S. civilians deployed in the high-risk environments of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan spurred significant investment in recent years in the Department of State's capacity to provide security in dangerous areas through its Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS). However, it simultaneously placed unprecedented burdens on DS's capability to carry out this mission successfully in these and other challenging locations. Most of the funding for the protection of U.S. missions abroad is provided through the Worldwide Security Protection (WSP) component of the State Department's Diplomatic & Consular Programs (D&CP) account and through the Worldwide Security Upgrades (WSU) component of the Embassy Security, Construction and Maintenance (ESCM) account. The total security funding requested for FY2015 is about $4.76 billion. This report provides background information on the organization, practice, and funding of U.S. diplomatic security efforts. It also provides summary information on the September 11, 2012, attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, as well as on the subsequent Accountability Review Board. More information on congressional and State Department actions in response to the Benghazi attack is available in CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report R43195, 'Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Legislative and Executive Branch Initiatives', by Alex Tiersky."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tiersky, Alex L.; Epstein, Susan B.
2014-07-30
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Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Legislative and Executive Branch Initiatives [October 22, 2014]
"The September 11, 2012, attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, prompted sustained congressional attention on the specific circumstances of the events in question, as well as broader questions regarding how U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities abroad are secured. Ensuring that the Department of State is better prepared for the possibility of similar attacks in the future has been a central congressional concern. The Department of State undertook a number of measures in response to the attack, including immediate steps to bolster security at posts around the world; an investigation of the incident through an Accountability Review Board; and longer-term measures implementing the board's recommendations, including requests for significantly greater funding than in recent years. Congress has conducted oversight through investigations by a number of committees and through a number of hearings. The House of Representatives voted to create a select committee on the Benghazi attack on May 8, 2014; the committee held its first hearing on September 17, 2014. Members have also put forward legislative proposals on issues ranging from the composition of Accountability Review Boards to procedures for awarding local security guard force contracts. In the 113th Congress, two wide-ranging bills incorporating many of these areas have been considered: H.R. 2848, the Department of State Operations and Embassy Security Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2014, and S. 1386, the Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty Embassy Security, Threat Mitigation, and Personnel Protection Act of 2013."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tiersky, Alex L.
2014-10-22
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Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Legislative and Executive Branch Initiatives [July 30, 2014]
"This report briefly summarizes and tracks congressional and State Department actions in response to the attack, and will be updated as necessary to reflect further developments and actions on ongoing policy proposals. Readers seeking background information on recent embassy attacks, State Department policies and procedures relevant to embassy security, or information on recent year embassy security funding trends should consult CRS Report R42834, 'Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Background and Policy Issues'"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tiersky, Alex L.
2014-07-30
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Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Legislative and Executive Branch Initiatives [September 12, 2013]
"The September 11, 2012, attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, prompted sustained congressional attention on the specific circumstances of the events in question, as well as broader questions regarding how U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities abroad are secured. Ensuring that the Department of State is better prepared for the possibility of similar attacks in the future has been a central congressional concern. The Department of State undertook a number of measures in response to the attack, including immediate steps to bolster security at posts around the world; an investigation of the incident through an Accountability Review Board; and longer-term measures implementing the board's recommendations, including requests for significantly greater funding than in recent years. Congress has conducted oversight through investigations by a number of committees and through a number of hearings. Members have also put forward legislative proposals on issues ranging from the composition of Accountability Review Boards to procedures for awarding local security guard force contracts. In the 113th Congress, two wide-ranging bills incorporating many of these areas have been considered and approved by committees: H.R. [House Resolution] 2848, the Department of State Operations and Embassy Security Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2014, and S. 1386, the Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty Embassy Security, Threat Mitigation, and Personnel Protection Act of 2013. This report briefly summarizes and tracks congressional and State Department actions in response to the attack, and will be updated as necessary to reflect further developments and actions on ongoing policy proposals."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tiersky, Alex L.
2013-09-12
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Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Background and Policy Issues [November 26, 2012]
"The deaths of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other U.S. personnel in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11, 2012, along with attacks on U.S. embassies in Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen, have drawn renewed attention to the challenges facing U.S. diplomats abroad, as well as to the difficulty in balancing concerns for their security against the outreach required of their mission. Congress plays a key role in shaping the response to these challenges, such as by providing resources for diplomatic security and examining security breaches overseas. The inability to provide perfect security, especially against the evident threat of mob violence, has focused particular scrutiny on the deployment of diplomatic personnel in high-threat environments. The Department of State currently maintains a presence in locations faced with security conditions that previously would likely have led State to evacuate personnel and close the post. Under reciprocal treaty obligations, host nations are obligated to provide security for the diplomatic facilities of sending states. However, instances in which host nations have been unable or not fully committed to fulfilling this responsibility have sometimes left U.S. facilities vulnerable, especially in extraordinary circumstances. [...] The rapid growth in the number of U.S. civilians deployed in high-risk environments of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan spurred significant investment in recent years in the Department of State's capacity to provide security in dangerous areas through its Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS), while simultaneously placing unprecedented burdens on DS's capability to carry out this mission successfully there and in other challenging locations. With greater focus on these frontline states, funds for other U.S. facilities could be strained."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tiersky, Alex L.; Epstein, Susan B.
2012-11-26
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Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Background and Policy Issues [May 7, 2013]
"The United States maintains about 285 diplomatic facilities worldwide.1 Attacks on such facilities, and on U.S. diplomatic personnel, are not infrequent. U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other U.S. personnel were killed in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012 after armed individuals attacked and burned buildings on the main mission compound and subsequently attacked a second annex site where U.S. personnel had been evacuated. Five other U.S. Ambassadors have died by violent acts in the line of duty, although none since 1979.2 Since 1977, 66 American diplomatic personnel have been killed by terrorists.3 These events, along with recent attacks on U.S. embassies in Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, Yemen, and Turkey, have drawn renewed attention to the challenges facing U.S. diplomats abroad, as well as to the difficulty in balancing concerns for their security against the outreach required of their mission. […] This report provides background information on the authorities, regulations, and procedures in place at the Department of State regarding diplomatic security. It also describes several areas of potential congressional interest, including the Accountability Review Board process, whose conclusions the Secretary of State is required to report to Congress, and discussion of embassy security funding trends. It also examines the September 11, 2012, attack in Benghazi, Libya, as well responses to date by Congress and by the Department of State. The report may be updated to reflect ongoing developments."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tiersky, Alex L.; Epstein, Susan B.
2013-05-07
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Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Background and Policy Issues [December 12, 2013]
"The United States maintains about 285 diplomatic facilities worldwide. Attacks on such facilities, and on U.S. diplomatic personnel, are not infrequent. The deaths of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other U.S. personnel in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012, along with attacks on U.S. embassies in Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen, drew renewed attention to the challenges facing U.S. diplomats abroad, as well as to the difficulty in balancing concerns for their security against the outreach required of their mission. Congress plays a key role in shaping the response to these challenges, such as by providing resources for diplomatic security and examining security breaches overseas. The inability to provide perfect security, especially against the evident threat of mob violence, has focused particular scrutiny on the deployment of diplomatic personnel in high-threat environments. The Department of State currently maintains a presence in locations faced with security conditions that previously would likely have led State to evacuate personnel and close the post. Under reciprocal treaty obligations, host nations are obligated to provide security for the diplomatic facilities of sending states. However, instances in which host nations have been unable or not fully committed to fulfilling this responsibility have sometimes left U.S. facilities vulnerable, especially in extraordinary circumstances. U.S. facilities therefore employ a layered approach to security including not only the measures taken by a host country, but also additional, U.S.-coordinated measures, to include armed Diplomatic Security agents, hardened facilities, U.S.-trained and/or contracted local security guards, and sometimes U.S. Marine Security Guard detachments."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tiersky, Alex L.; Epstein, Susan B.
2013-12-12
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Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Background and Policy Issues [November 8, 2013]
"The United States maintains about 285 diplomatic facilities worldwide. Attacks on such facilities, and on U.S. diplomatic personnel, are not infrequent. The deaths of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other U.S. personnel in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012, along with attacks on U.S. embassies in Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen, drew renewed attention to the challenges facing U.S. diplomats abroad, as well as to the difficulty in balancing concerns for their security against the outreach required of their mission. […] The rapid growth in the number of U.S. civilians deployed in high-risk environments of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan spurred significant investment in recent years in the Department of State's capacity to provide security in dangerous areas through its Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS). However, it simultaneously placed unprecedented burdens on DS's capability to carry out this mission successfully there and in other challenging locations. [...] This report provides background information on the organization, practice, and funding of U.S. diplomatic security efforts. It also provides summary information on the September 11, 2012, attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, as well as on the subsequent Accountability Review Board. More information on congressional and State Department actions in response to the Benghazi attack is available in CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report R43195, 'Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Legislative and Executive Branch Initiatives', by Alex Tiersky." Figure (1) and Table (1) show supporting data.
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tiersky, Alex L.; Epstein, Susan B.
2013-11-08
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Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Legislative and Executive Branch Initiatives [February 28, 2014]
"The September 11, 2012, attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, prompted sustained congressional attention on the specific circumstances of the events in question, as well as broader questions regarding how U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities abroad are secured. Ensuring that the Department of State is better prepared for the possibility of similar attacks in the future has been a central congressional concern. The Department of State undertook a number of measures in response to the attack, including immediate steps to bolster security at posts around the world; an investigation of the incident through an Accountability Review Board; and longer-term measures implementing the board's recommendations, including requests for significantly greater funding than in recent years. […] This report briefly summarizes and tracks congressional and State Department actions in response to the attack, and will be updated as necessary to reflect further developments and actions on ongoing policy proposals. Readers seeking background information on recent embassy attacks, State Department policies and procedures relevant to embassy security, or information on recent year embassy security funding trends should consult CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report R42834, 'Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Background and Policy Issues'."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tiersky, Alex L.
2014-02-28
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Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Legislative and Executive Branch Initiatives [February 3, 2014]
"The September 11, 2012, attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, prompted sustained congressional attention on the specific circumstances of the events in question, as well as broader questions regarding how U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities abroad are secured. Ensuring that the Department of State is better prepared for the possibility of similar attacks in the future has been a central congressional concern. The Department of State undertook a number of measures in response to the attack, including immediate steps to bolster security at posts around the world; an investigation of the incident through an Accountability Review Board; and longer-term measures implementing the board's recommendations, including requests for significantly greater funding than in recent years. Congress has conducted oversight through investigations by a number of committees and through a number of hearings. Members have also put forward legislative proposals on issues ranging from the composition of Accountability Review Boards to procedures for awarding local security guard force contracts. In the 113th Congress, two wide-ranging bills incorporating many of these areas have been considered and approved by committees: H.R. [House Resolution] 2848, the Department of State Operations and Embassy Security Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2014, and S. 1386, the Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty Embassy Security, Threat Mitigation, and Personnel Protection Act of 2013. This report briefly summarizes and tracks congressional and State Department actions in response to the attack, and will be updated as necessary to reflect further developments and actions on ongoing policy proposals."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tiersky, Alex L.
2014-02-03
