The Foreign Service Journal, April 2015

“I find it ironic that some of my colleagues are so outspoken about what they consider inadequate security arrangements in Benghazi, a high-risk place to begin with, when they have actually voted against a lot of investments to shore up our embassy security and consular security abroad. I don’t think you get to have it both ways.” —Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), speaking at an AFSA Town Hall meeting on Feb. 9. 12 April 2015 | the foreign Service journal One Door Closes… and Another Opens O n Feb. 11, the Department of State suspended operations at Embassy Sana’a and relocated staff out of Yemen. The security situation in Yemen, never very secure, had worsened. The Shiite militia known as the Houthis had overrun Sana’a in September, and the situation on the ground became increasingly unpre- dictable. Yemen is the third diplomatic post closed in the past three years, following the closure of the embassy in Syria in February 2012 and in Libya in July 2014. On Feb. 24, FSO Katherine S. Dha- nani was nominated to be the first U. S. ambassador to Somalia since 1991, when the United States closed the mission in Mogadishu following the collapse of the country’s government and ensuing civil war. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, in an address at the U.S. Institute of Peace last June, said the decision to nominate an ambassador was “a reflection of our deepening rela- tionship with the country and of our faith that better times are ahead.” If confirmed, Ms. Dhanani will lead the U.S. mission in Somalia based, for security reasons, in Nairobi. “As security conditions permit,” then-State Spokes- person Jen Psaki said in announcing the nomination, “we look forward to increasing our diplomatic presence in Contemporary Quote talking points Somalia and eventually reopening the U.S. embassy in Mogadishu.” —Debra Blome, Associate Editor Finland’s LEED Platinum Embassy a First in the United States I n January, the Embassy of Finland in Washington, D.C., became the first mission in the United States to receive the Leadership in Energy and Environ- mental Design “Platinum” certification awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council. Having previously achieved “Green” and “Gold” designations, the Finnish Embassy is only the second Platinum LEED-certified embassy in the world, after U.S. Embassy Helsinki. The Finns’ greening success came in part through everyday measures that can have a large environmental impact, such as composting materials onsite, using high-efficiency water faucets and even providing bicycles for staff members to get around the city. The State Department has increas- ingly focused on eco-diplomacy in recent years. At the center of State’s Greening Diplomacy Initiative is the Greening Council. A cross-cutting group with a diverse membership frommultiple bureaus, the council is responsible for “overseeing and providing strategic direction on the implementation of environmental per- formance and sustainability initiatives at State.” (For more, see the April 2014 FSJ . ) Greening Council Eco-Management Analyst Caroline D’Angelo describes eco- diplomacy as “leveraging our manage- ment and operations to help demon- strate our commitment to the United States’ policy and economic priorities. It means that we enable our embassies, consulates and facilities to be showcases and tangible demonstrations of Ameri- The 956-kilowatt array at Embassy Managua is estimated to produce over 1,276 megawatt-hours of emissions-free energy annually, for 27 percent of its needs. David Shaffer, OBO