The Foreign Service Journal, December 2021

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2021 15 troops and other military and diplomatic personnel from Afghanistan. On Sept. 24 the Defense Department Inspector General announced an inves- tigation into the Aug. 29 drone strike that killed 10 Afghan civilians, including seven children. The U.S. Air Force is conducting its own probe into the episode, as well. In August, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction released its 11th lessons learned report, “What We Need to Learn: Lessons from 20 Years of Afghanistan Reconstruction,” as well as its 53rd quarterly report to Congress, which looks at the aftermath of the U.S. withdrawal, the collapse of the Afghan government and security forces, and risks to the Afghan people. These developments are a power- ful reminder that although the last U.S. troops left Afghanistan on Aug. 31 after 20 years of war, and Embassy Kabul is once again closed, the debate over America’s role there is far from over. Blinken Announces Plan to Modernize Diplomacy I n remarks delivered at the Foreign Service Institute on Oct. 27, Secretary of State Antony Blinken presented the pillars of his plan to modernize the con- duct and institution of U.S. diplomacy to meet the tests of the 21st century. To mobilize a robust response to cyber threats, Secretary Blinken announced the creation of a new bureau for cyberspace and digital policy headed by an ambassador-at-large. He said he will also name a new special envoy for critical and emerging technology to lead the technology diplomacy agenda with U.S. allies. Both positions will report to Deputy Secretary Wendy Sherman for at least the first year. “We want to make sure technol- ogy works for democracy, fighting back against disinformation, standing up for internet freedom and reducing the misuse of surveillance technology,” Blinken said. As of today, there are more than 80 nominees before the Senate, including 41 pending on the Senate Execu- tive Calendar. Seven career Senior Foreign Service Officers, passed out of committee with full bipartisan sup- port, have been pending on the Executive Calendar since June. Their confirmation is delayed not due to objections over their credentials, but unrelated policy disagreements. The development and execution of our national security policy depends on having senior leaders in place in our embassies overseas and in Washington. There is not another major power in the world that would leave the vast majority of its embassies without an ambassador in place for many months. In the first nine months of the Biden- Harris administration, only five country ambassadors have been confirmed. Dozens of U.S. embassies in every region are led not by a Senate-confirmed ambassador but by a chargé d’affaires. Our embassies are being led by dedicated personnel who are doing a fantastic job, and I am proud of all they have achieved. But there is no substitute for an empowered ambassador, and many governments do not pro- vide access at the highest levels to officials who are not accredited ambassadors. The bottom line is this: our security and interests are substantially undermined because so many of our senior leadership roles are not occupied by confirmed officials. This compounds the challenges we face in pursuing our shared objectives, especially for functions that are critical for taking care of our workforce and leading our overseas missions. While we acknowledge there is more we can do as an administration to improve our part of the process, the level of delay and obstruction we face is unprecedented. I urge the Senate to act on these nominations with all haste. —Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Brian McKeon, from his opening statement at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, “The State of the State Department and State Department Authorization,” Oct. 27. U.S.DEPARTMENTOFSTATE Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the Foreign Service Institute on Oct. 27. Contemporary Quote The modernization plan includes requesting a 50 percent increase in the department’s information technology budget so State can make better use of