The Foreign Service Journal, February 2003

months with minimal staffing and no dependents. Yet no matter where an embassy or consulate is located, how many official (and private) Americans are there, or the nature of the crisis underlying the decision to evacuate personnel, the ground rules are basi- cally the same. Of course, some posts are inher- ently more prone to evacuation and closure than others. For example, our embassy and three consulates in Pakistan have been evacuated twice recently: first after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and then in March 2002 following the Protestant International Church bombing and other terrorist acts. In the first case, the decision to draw down staffing was slow in coming, perhaps reflecting reluctance to remove families from what had tradition- ally been one of the more comfortable, family-friendly posts in the region (thanks largely to good schools) as well as uncertainties surrounding the full extent of al- Qaida’s reach and the perceived need to show confi- dence in President Pervez Musharraf’s regime by maintaining a strong U.S. presence. But in the latter crisis (which occurred only a short time after families were allowed to return to Pakistan), the “reaction from the 7th floor was swift and profound,” according to one evacuee who asked not to be identified. Almost as soon as U.S. Ambassador Wendy Chamberlin recommended authorized departure, the department approved it, and quickly upgraded to ordered evacuation. The Basic Drill As that example suggests, the initiative for requesting a drawdown in staffing or a complete evacuation comes from the chief of mission, based on reporting and recom- mendations from the country team. Such a request gen- erally cites a number of “trip wires,” such as demonstra- tions, tank movements, and credible threats received by mail or phone. In some cases, State may send monitors to investigate the situation before deciding whether to evac- uate; for example, the Diplomatic Security Bureau may send extra regional security officers to assess the danger posed by mob violence. There are two different categories of evacuation status: “authorized departure” and “ordered departure/ordered evacuation.” An authorized departure permits “non- essential” or “non-emergency” employ- ees and all family members the option of departing from post; this gives the chief of mission greater flexibility and avoids any negative connotation that might be attached to use of the term “evacuation.” Under an “ordered evac- uation” all family members and all except “emergency” employees must leave post. Once the chief of mission sends in the request for evac- uation status — for either “authorized” or “ordered” departure of personnel — the regional bureau is responsi- ble for drafting a decision memo for the under secretary of management’s signature. This memo contains an “effec- tive date” reflecting the severity of the crisis in the host country, and is accompanied by press guidance, an instruc- tional cable to the field and a general travel warning. The regional bureau can push the memo if they feel strongly about it, but must clear it with all affected bureaus. There can even be split memos, reflecting different policy priori- ties within different parts of State; for example, there may be concern that reducing the U.S. presence in a volatile country may signal a lack of confidence in the host gov- ernment that could have larger repercussions. Such dis- agreement is rare but does happen. When the under secretary approves the evacuation sta- tus, the “180-day clock” starts ticking. The evacuation sta- tus is reviewed every 30 days by the under secretary for management, up to a maximum of 180 days. The subsis- tence expense allowance is available to evacuees during that period. (Domestic partners and other “members of household” are not considered “eligible family members” and do not receive any official assistance with evacua- tions.) According to the Standardized Regulations, an employee must be returned to the post of assignment or reassigned to another post not later than 180 days after the evacuation order has been issued. During the evacuation period employees are expected to be available for tempo- rary assignments within the department or elsewhere, and these assignments are handled by the regional bureau. After 180 days, if the security situation looks like it won’t improve, the department may elect to further downsize or even close the post, though such a drastic move is rare. More commonly, it is designated an “unaccompanied” post F O C U S 22 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 3 Mikkela Thompson is the Journal ’s Business Manager. When the under secretary for management approves the evacuation status, the “180-day clock” starts ticking.