Travel Warning: Yemen

Consular Affairs issued a Travel Warning for Yemen On May 25, 2011.  It reads as follows:

Yemen

May 25, 2011

• Yemen Task Force Alert

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the high security threat level in Yemen due to civil unrest. The Department urges U.S. citizens not to travel to Yemen. U.S. citizens currently in Yemen should depart while commercial transportation is available. The Department of State has ordered all eligible family members of U.S. government employees as well as certain non-emergency personnel to depart Yemen. Due to the fluid security situation in Sana’a, the Consular Section will only be able to provide emergency American citizen services. In addition, terrorism remains a serious threat in Yemen. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning for Yemen issued on March 6, 2011 to provide updated information on violent confrontations at demonstrations, increased security measures, and to note the ordered departure of non-emergency U.S. Embassy personnel and all family members.

Travel Warning: Yemen

Consular Affairs issued a Travel Warning for Yemen On May 25, 2011.  It reads as follows:

Yemen

May 25, 2011

• Yemen Task Force Alert

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the high security threat level in Yemen due to civil unrest. The Department urges U.S. citizens not to travel to Yemen. U.S. citizens currently in Yemen should depart while commercial transportation is available. The Department of State has ordered all eligible family members of U.S. government employees as well as certain non-emergency personnel to depart Yemen. Due to the fluid security situation in Sana’a, the Consular Section will only be able to provide emergency American citizen services. In addition, terrorism remains a serious threat in Yemen. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning for Yemen issued on March 6, 2011 to provide updated information on violent confrontations at demonstrations, increased security measures, and to note the ordered departure of non-emergency U.S. Embassy personnel and all family members.

Social Engineering: Your Identity’s Greatest Threat

Social Engineering is the attack vector that strikes at any security system’s most vulnerable component; its users.  Here are some common examples of how social engineers can get at your personal information, safety, or comfort zone- and how to prevent it.

RQ: Challenges Living Overseas

This week’s reader question asks about the hardships one faces living overseas.

Also, what are the biggest challenges/hardships of daily life at hardship posts overseas that you’ve found?  I’ve never lived in such countries, so this is something I’m very interested in learning more about.

Death of Osama Bin Laden: End (Beginning?) of an Era

By now you’ve probably read any of the extensive coverage on the death of Osama Bin Laden.  For me, the news came with mixed emotions.

There are two signature events in my generation of government security professionals: the 1998 East Africa Bombings, which resulted in the Inman report that is still utilized as guidance for new embassy construction, and of course 9/11 and the acceleration of heightened awareness of the threat Americans face overseas.  With both of these tragedies, funding and personnel have poured in as DS quietly assumed more and more responsibilities.  It is somewhat sobering to think that without Bin Laden, a great number of people (including myself) might not have their current job.

I highly disagree with the assessment that removing OBL from the picture will have no effect on Al Qaeda’s potency.  Replacing a well-respected, knowledgeable leader in any organization is difficult, and though I’ve certainly never been in a comparable situation I’d venture to guess that the death of a leader previously thought “invincible” by large numbers of brainwashed, starry-eyed young men has to have a negative effect on morale.  If that means one less suicide bomber that dons their vest it has to be considered worth the time and trouble.

“Every cloud has a silver lining” the saying goes, and this is even true for OBL.  Every attack by Al Qaeda teaches us something new; some small chink in the armor that needs to be patched to keep Americans safe.  Like a good coach, we’ve learned our opposition’s playbook through observation and have defended accordingly- whether the defense involves simple mantraps all the way up to UAVs.

Finally, it saddened me when the media touted “No American casualties” in subsequent reporting on the raid.  Bin Laden’s final undoing cannot be considered a casualty-free success.  Thousands gave their lives in this 10-year odyssey across the globe.  The world may be a safer place, but it is still dangerous.  While his death might be the end of an era, the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice would not want us to let down our guard again.  Today, all Americans should be proud of their country, their government, and their resilience… but also mindful that freedom is truly not free.