The Foreign Service Journal, April 2017

20 APRIL 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL was never there for oversight alone. As a bipartisan body with four Democratic and four Republicanmembers, plus a representative of the Secretary of State, it has always played the crucial function of a firewall, safeguarding the outlets edito- rial independence from the whims of its funder, the U.S. government. This was how the networks won trust with their foreign audiences—but this independence is on the way out.” More sanguine about the new organi- zation’s prospects, however, is Joseph B. Bruns, a former director of the Interna- tional Broadcasting Bureau, which man- ages the transmission, distribution, digital media development, marketing and support services for the U.S. international media networks under the BBG’s aegis. In a Jan. 2 post to the Public Diplo- macy Council’s website, Bruns encour- ages “those who care about [international broadcasting] to cease the hand-wringing over the loss of the so-called firewall, roll up our sleeves and get down to the practical work of operating in the new paradigm.” Recommending several specific steps to do just that, Bruns declares: “The fear of a presidential appointee running rogue should not be allowed to paralyze positive action, to build on the past, to discard what no longer works and to embrace the future.” —Steven Alan Honley, Contributing Editor Diplomatic Security Special Agents Recognized T hree Diplomatic Security Special Agents from the New York field office were named Federal Law Enforcement Foundation Investigators of the Year in 2016. The DS special agents were part of an investigative team that brought down a transnational human trafficking network. The investigation, involving the Department of Homeland Security, Inter- nal Revenue Service, U.S. Postal Inspec- tion Service and New York Police Depart- ment, resulted in charges being brought against 11 individuals for laundering money from illegal brothels in New York. The FLEF awards honor representa- tives from each federal law enforcement investigative agency and the offices of the U.S. Attorney(s) for the Western, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York. Per- sonnel selected for the awards are recom- mended by the head of each agency and approved by the FLEF board of directors. —Gemma Dvorak, Associate Editor Senators Defend Dissent I n a Feb. 16 letter, every Democratic member of the S enate Foreign Rela- tions Committee, as well as Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), urged Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to respect and take advantage of the State Department’s unique Dissent Channel. A message, “Alternatives to Closing Doors in Order to Secure Our Borders,” had been submitted through the Dissent Channel on Jan. 30 that was reportedly signed by more than 900 State employees. In their letter to the Secretary of State, the 11 senators expressed their concern at the reaction of White House Press Sec- retary Sean Spicer to the dissent. In a Jan. 30 press briefing Spicer said that those who dissented “should either get with the program or they can go.” The senators underlined the guidance from the State Department’s Foreign Affairs Manual concerning the Dissent Channel: “freedom from reprisal for Dis- sent Channel users is strictly enforced.” Describing State Department employ- ees as “among those most dedicated of our public servants, on the front lines safeguarding our nation’s security,” the senators also thanked members of the Foreign Service for their insight and counsel to the SFRC over the years. —Gemma Dvorak, Associate Editor The United States may, from time to time, disagree with European Union perspectives, as friends do. At the end of the day, no one should misinterpret occasional policy differences and debates as a signal of anything less than total commitment to our alliances in Europe. That commitment is strong. …The United States thinks it’s possible to have a better relationship with Russia—after all, we confront many of the same threats. But greater cooperation with Russia cannot come at the expense of the security of our European friends and allies. —U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, speaking to the U.N. Security Council on Feb. 21. Contemporary Quote FLEFVIAFACEBOOK