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Authorized distributor of GM vehicles to the Diplomatic Community CONTENTS March 1998 I Vol. 75, No. 3 COVER COLUMNS Focus ON THE STATE OIG PRESIDENT’S VIEW S / 5 20 / IN SEARCH OF SCAPEGOATS The Inspector General and AFSA Are IGs Compromising By Dan Geisler Integrity In Their Zeal DESPATCH / 7 To Please Congress? AFSA and Its Free Press B y Dan Fisk By Boh Guldin 26 / REFORM THE IG’S OFFICE SPEAKING OUT / 17 OIG Investigations Too Often FSOs: Prepare for Eco-Catastrophe Fail to Respect Employee Rights By Al Perez By Rep. Lee Hamilton POSTCARD FROM ABROAD / 60 29 / THE IG ISSUE IN CONGRESS The Consulate in the Casbah By Eva-Lotta Janssorl By Carleton S. Coon, Jr. 32 / CURRING THE STATE POLICE Abuses of Power And Mistreatment Focus Of FS Employees Must Stop By David Dlouhy 35 / SAVAGED BY THE SYSTEM Three First-Person Accounts Of OIG Wrongdoing By Three FSOs 40 / A ‘WATCHDOG’ RESPONDS A Former Inspector General Page 20 Answers Charges of OIG Misconduct By Sherman Funk DEPARTMENTS LETTERS/9 FEATURES CLIPPINGS / 14 46 / CAREGIVING FROM 10,000 MILES AWAY BOOKS / 51 What Can an FSO Do When An Aging Parent Declines? IN MEMORY / 53 By Ronald Trigg INDEX TO ADVERTISERS / 59 Cover and inside illustrations by Renee Mansfield THE MAGAZINE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS PROFESSIONALS Foreign Service Journal (ISSN 0015-7279), 2101 E Street, N.W.. Washington, D.C. 20037-2990 is published Editor Editorial Board monthly by the American Foreign Service Association, a private, non-profit organization. Material appearing herein represents the opinions of die writers and does not necessarily represent the views of die Journal, the BOB GULDIN EDWARD MARKS, Chairman Editorial Board or AFSA. Writer queries are invited. Journal subscription: AFSA Members - $9.50 included in Managing Editor ELIZABETH SPIRO CLARK KATHLEEN CURRIE annual dues; odiers - $40. For foreign surface mail, add $18 per year; foreign airmail, $36 per year. Periodical MITCHELL A. COHN Assistant Editor postage paid at Manchester, N.H., and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Foreign AURELIUS FERNANDEZ EVA-LOTTA JANSSON Service Journal, 2101 E Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037-2990. Indexed by Public Affairs Information DAVID I. HITCHCOCK Advertising is Circulation Service (PAIS). The Journal is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos or illustrations. Advertising Manager KATHERINE INEZ LEE ED MILTENBERGER inquiries are invited. The appearance of advertisements herein does not imply die endorsement of the services or MARY LEWELLEN AFSA News Editor goods offered. FAX: (202) 338-8244 or (202) 338-6820. E-MAIL: [email protected]. WEB: www.afsa.org.TELE- ROBERTA MAHONEY POLLY GILBERT PHONE: (202) 338-4045. © American Foreign Service Association, 1998. Printed in die U.S.A. Send address Editorial Intern MARK MATTHEW'S changes for the Foreign Service Journal to AFSA, 2101 E Street N.W, Washington, D.C. 20037-2990. HELDER GIL CAROLINE MEIRS MARCH 1998/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 3 Aufwiedersehen! Translation... See you next month! Were you looking for your local insurance agent last month? While the majority of Europe was on vacation, Clements was at home, in the USA, working. By purchasing insurance from foreign companies you probably think you can obtain coverage quickly, and your claims will be settled faster. The reality is, these companies just may not be around when you need them! Clements is an American company with 50 years experience insuring the Foreign Service at home and abroad. Our reputation was built on providing outstanding insurance CLEMENTS & COMPANY programs with unexcelled service at very competitive prices. Insurance Worldwide. So if you can't find your agent when you need him, 1660 L Street, NW, 9th Floor remember, Clements is at home working for you! Washington, DC 20036 TELEPHONE FACSIMILE Translation... Clements covers you! (202) 872-0060 (202) 466-9064 (800) 872-0067 INTERNET [email protected] PRESIDENT'S VIEWS The Inspector General, the Senator and AFSA BY DAN GEISLER This issue of the Foreign investigatory practices of the State IG. Service Journal focuses on the A disciplinary system must guarantee State Department Inspector We believe that the that those innocent of wrongdoing are Generals investigatory function. Just protected from harassment. about everyone in the Foreign Service American Foreign Recently, we have been confronted encounters the IG’s office in the with concerns about item three: swiff course of a regular audit or inspec¬ Service will stand and certain punishment. In a Jan. 29 tion. About 80 percent of the State speech on the Senate floor, Sen. Jesse IG’s resources are devoted to audits up admirably to Helms (R-N.C.), chairman of the and inspections. In its audit and Senate Foreign Relations Committee, inspection capacities, the State IG public scrutiny of announced his intention to “examine examines policy implementation, die numerous moral, ethical, and pro¬ resource management and manage¬ our integrity. fessional lapses of Foreign Service offi¬ ment controls at the State cers and the personnel grievance Department, USIA and ACDA. process.” The senator referred to six (AID, FCS and FAS are not covered specific cases, drawn from an OIG by the State IG.) report, where, he alleged, corruption This is an invaluable service to our had been uncovered but gone unpun¬ employer, the American people. The behalf of Foreign Service personnel in ished. He complained that in certain availability of informed, independent five agencies. Since the State IG is cases corrupt FSOs were not only analysis is crucial to our institutional organizationally independent of man¬ unpunished, but were recommended well-being and to the administration of agement, AFSA does not bargain over for promotion. foreign affairs. IG procedures. But in our role as a Since AFSA did not represent any Few of us have direct personal expe¬ professional association, we have a of the individuals mentioned, we have rience with IG investigations. In this deep interest in ensuring the integrity no authoritative information on the function, tire State IG’s office examines of the American Foreign Service. senator’s assertions. But we believe allegations of waste, fraud, abuse or Therefore, AFSA supports the role of that such corruption is rare in the notorious misconduct. This kind of the State IG in her audit, inspection Foreign Service, and it is unfair to malfeasance is not a common occur¬ and investigatory capacities. imply that isolated incidents demon¬ rence. But when it does occur, the State In this area, we share the same strate a pattern of abuse. IG launches an investigation and for¬ goals. We believe that the Foreign AFSA firmly believes that the wards its findings to management for Service needs a disciplinary system career Foreign Service must main¬ any warranted disciplinary action.