The Foreign Service Journal, June 2023

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2023 17 with requests for the dissent cable, citing the importance of preserving the integ- rity of a dissent mechanism. Instead, the department offered to hold a classified, bipartisan briefing for the Foreign Affairs Committee on the concerns raised by embassy staff ahead of the pullout. House Republicans issued a subpoena on March 27 for Secretary of State Antony Blinken to produce the classified cable, Foreign Policy reported. If he does not, the House committee could choose to enforce the subpoena by holding a vote to cite the State Department for failure to comply. If the committee were to approve, the full House could vote to ask a federal court to order enforcement of the sub- poena, according to Axios. As of May 10, State had not complied. Ambassador Thomas Boyatt, who authored a dissent cable in 1974 over U.S. policy in Cyprus and is a former AFSA president, told Real Clear Politics in an April 26 interview that “if a dissent cable for one reason or another reaches public purview, it’s good for a variety of national security reasons because it forces the bureaucracy to confront its mistakes and to concentrate on not repeating them.” In a press briefing March 27, State Department Principal Deputy Spokesper- son Vedant Patel told journalists: “The tra- dition of having a Dissent Channel is one that is cherished here. It is a unique way for anyone in the department to speak truth to power without fear or favor. It’s vital to us that we preserve the integrity of that process and of that channel.” On March 30, AFSA released a statement from President Eric Rubin in support of the Dissent Channel’s con- fidentiality: “Failure to protect the con- fidentiality of constructive dissent can lead to a fear of disclosure or retaliation that may dissuade career employees from offering their best professional advice. AFSA believes that use of the Dissent Channel …must be protected within the executive branch of government.” Since the hearings with the 118th Congress began in early March, wit- nesses have included U.S. military mem- bers present at the Abbey Gate suicide bombing, some of whom were badly injured in the attack. The House Oversight and Account- ability Committee is also holding hearings to review the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, The Hill reported. Witnesses include inspec- tors general from the State Department, USAID, and the Department of Defense, and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. U.S.DEPARTMENTOFSTATE Richard Verma is sworn in as Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources during a ceremony on April 5, 2023. Russian Government Shuts Down American School O n March 31, a Moscow court suspended the work of the Anglo- American School of Moscow (AAS) for 90 days for allegedly violating Russian educational requirements, forcing the school to close its doors to the more than 1,200 students who were enrolled there from pre-K through grade 12. AAS Moscow released a statement on April 13 stating that their motions to lift the suspension had been unsuccessful and confirming that the school would not reopen for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year. In a second statement on April 21, the school announced that it would DepSec Confirmation O n March 30, the U.S. Senate confirmed Richard R. Verma as Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources (D/MR) to replace Brian McKeon. Verma, 54, left his role as chief legal officer and head of global public policy at Mastercard to rejoin the State Department, having served as U.S. ambassador to India from 2015 to 2017. During the Obama administration, he also served as Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs. Earlier in his career, he was national security adviser to former Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.). Verma had stints as vice chair of The Asia Group, partner and senior coun- selor at Steptoe and Johnson LLP, and senior counselor at the Albright Stonebridge Group. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, where he also served as judge advocate. He is the recipient of numerous awards and decorations, including the State Department’s Distinguished Service Medal, the International Affairs Fellowship from the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Air Force’s Meritorious Service Medal.