The protection of life is the most critical element of the DS mission, and is an absolute requirement for the global conduct of foreign affairs. With the emergence of terrorist coalitions that operate across international borders, the threat of terrorism against U.S. interests is greater than ever. Clearly, we can no longer consider any U.S. mission overseas as being in a low-threat environment.
As a result, Diplomatic Security is more dedicated than ever to its mission of providing a secure living and working environment for our Foreign Service colleagues as they implement foreign policy and promote U.S. interests around the world. DS special agents serving in regional security offices anchor our overseas security efforts and provide the first line of defense for our personnel, their families, U.S. diplomatic missions, and national security information. More than 480 DS special agents in over 150 countries advise chiefs of mission on all security matters and develop and implement the programs that shield U.S. missions and residences overseas from physical and technical attack.
Special agents, in concert with other mission or post elements, formulate plans to deal with various emergency contingencies ranging from hostage taking to evacuations. Often, in times of crisis and political instability, DS special agents rely on the U.S. military for assistance. Since the early 1990s, special agents have worked closely with the military, especially the U.S. Marine Fleet Antiterrorism Security Teams, which have provided emergency force protection support for Department of State operations in a number of countries when the host government was unable to do so.
Special agents are the primary liaison with foreign police and security services overseas in support of U.S. law enforcement initiatives and investigations. Much of the investigative and law enforcement liaison work done by special agents abroad is on behalf of other federal, state, and local agencies. DS receives about 3,000 requests for overseas investigative assistance from U.S. law enforcement each year, and has achieved noteworthy success in locating and apprehending wanted fugitives who have fled the United States.
DS special agents also provide unclassified briefings and other professional security advice to U.S. businesses overseas.
While special agents face a tremendous challenge in implementing a mission's security program, it is clearly one that cannot be handled alone. In the challenge to safeguard our personnel and sensitive information overseas, DS security engineering officers (SEOs) augment the efforts of the security office. SEOs are the primary developers and promulgators of technical policy and regulations. They design or develop, implement, and manage security equipment programs at our missions abroad. In a constantly evolving technical environment, SEOs are responsible for detecting and preventing loss of sensitive information from technical espionage.
In addition to SEOs, special agents depend upon Marine Security Guards, U.S. Navy Seabees, surveillance detection teams, local guards, cleared American guards, local investigators, host government officials, and other DS elements domestically and abroad to provide assistance in combating criminal, intelligence, and terrorist threats against U.S. interests worldwide. These entities play a crucial role in the overall DS security efforts overseas.
At our highest threat posts, further security assistance is often needed. In those instances, DS dispatches Mobile Security Teams from Washington to conduct training for embassy personnel, their dependents, and local guards in protective tactics such as attack recognition, self-defense, hostage survival, and defensive driving. These teams also provide emergency security support to overseas posts, including protective security for chiefs of mission, surveillance detection operations, and assistance with post evacuations.
Following the bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi in 1998, security for our missions overseas took on even greater importance. As a result, DS conducted a comprehensive review of security at all U.S. diplomatic missions. Since the bombings, hundreds of DS agents and security engineers have traveled throughout the world to augment security at missions abroad.
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