The Foreign Service Journal, September 2005

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 5 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 23 F O C U S O N D I P L O M A T I C S E C U R I T Y A T HANKLESS J OB : T HE B UREAU OF D IPLOMATIC S ECURITY ven in the post-9/11 era, it is still difficult for many Foreign Service personnel to take at face value assurances by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security that “We’re here to help you.” Whether it’s the Regional Security Officer overseas, or the folks who issue our IDs and guard our buildings back in Washington, the very presence of internal security at State and the other foreign affairs agencies is a constant reminder that we are all potential weak links. This is true even though, unlike the CIA, FBI and most branches of the U.S. military, no Foreign Service officer (Irvin Scarbeck, 1960) has ever been convicted of passing secrets, and only one in recent memory — E ALREADY THE SECOND - LARGEST BUREAU IN THE S TATE D EPARTMENT , DS CONTINUES TO GROW . H OW WELL IS IT KEEPING UP WITH ITS RESPONSIBILITIES ? B Y D AVID T. J ONES Sean Kelly