The Foreign Service Journal, December 2022

38 DECEMBER 2022 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL When the position and recommen- dations they shared differed from the established views of decision-makers, Ms. Zentos and Mr. Cooper turned to the Dissent Channel with a July 2021 cable. There, they laid out a clearly articulated case for the likelihood of a swift deterio- ration of the security situation in Kabul and the need to take steps to prepare for a possibly imminent evacuation. While Mission Kabul leadership sup- ported the two officers’ use of the Dissent Channel, the pair’s view was, at the time, controversial. Nevertheless, 24 of their colleagues at the embassy believed Ms. Zentos and Mr. Cooper had tapped into the reality that negotiations were unlikely to be successful, the Taliban may take Kabul by force in the near future, and the embassy would lack sufficient security; these colleagues contributed to the cable and elected to add their signatures to it. The cable received the required response from the Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff (S/P), and preparations report- edly sped up—but unfortunately, not quickly enough to avoid the events that transpired in Kabul. Throughout this time, Ms. Zentos, Mr. Cooper, and the co- signers maintained their commitment to constructive principles of dissent and kept the text of their classified cable contained to established channels. Preservation of the confidential nature of the Dissent Channel is critical in appreciating the approach these award recipients took when sharing their objections to prevailing policy. The pair’s approach merits further recognition because it offered concrete policy recommendations to address the concerns they outlined. Their courage in sharing their warning and their creative proposals serve as an example to others who would speak truth to power, demonstrating how to disagree and offer a practi- cal way forward. Ms. Zentos and Mr. Cooper are emphatic that this award for dissent belongs not just to them. “The award is being given to two people, but many more contributed to this cable,” says Mr. Cooper. “I am certain that none of the people who signed it wanted to be in the position to have to do so. If there is any small measure of pride in recognition for something that was born of an untenable situation, it is from being in their number.” Ms. Zentos has dedicated AFSA’s recognition to her State Department co-workers, to partners in the interagency, and to her Afghan colleagues who, she says, “demonstrated unprecedented bravery and commitment to fighting for what was right.” Both officers also pointed to the importance of fostering dissent when constructing American foreign policy. Mr. Cooper believes that “the tradition of saying uncomfortable things in a constructive way must ever be a foundational principle of our systemof governance. Only this prevents the kind of blind obedience to power we see in other political systems from taking root in our own.” “Accepting an award related to such a tragic situation feels uncomfortable, especially since it is our Afghan colleagues whomost deserve rec- ognition,” Ms. Zentos tells the Journal . “But I amhonored to receive it, as I believe the existence of this award is vital to demon- strating the unique value the department places on dissent and the importance of speaking out.” Elisabeth Zentos is currently deputy director of the Office of Russian Affairs. Prior to her tour as deputy political coun- selor in Kabul, she served in Tbilisi from 2018 to 2020 and inMos- cow from 2017 to 2018, when the Russian government declared her persona non grata. From 2015 to 2016, she served as director for Eastern Europe at the National Security Council, covering Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). From 2012 to 2014, she served as political military chief at Embassy Kyiv, where she covered Ukraine’s Maidan Revolu- tion and Russia’s first invasion of eastern Ukraine. Other previous assignments include special assistant to the under secretary for international security and arms control and information officer in Yerevan. Ms. Zentos has a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from The George Washington University. Anton Cooper is currently serving temporarily in Kyiv, having volunteered for this critical assignment. His long-term current position is external political unit chief at Embassy Tbilisi, a position he had also held at Embassy Kabul from 2020 to 2021. From 2017 to 2020, he served in Ukraine, with prior tours on the Ukraine desk, in Uzbekistan, and inMoldova. Before joining the Foreign Service, he worked as a health care policy analyst for the Washington State Health Care Authority. Mr. Cooper holds an M.A. from the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington, and a B.A. fromThe Evergreen State College. Elisabeth Zentos. Anton Cooper.