Locke'd Up Abroad

I know, I know–posting here has fallen by the wayside as of late. I promise to correct that soon with an exciting update on our lives in Atlanta, more photos, funny stories–the whole nine!

Today and tomorrow is the bar exam here in Georgia (and most other states, unless your state has a three-day test; if it does, I’m just so sorry for you). As a midway good luck boost, here’s a photo of Harvard Law that I took when I was in Boston a few months ago. Remember: even at Harvard only 97% of their students pass on the first try. So when you pass you’ll have beaten 3% of those Harvard punks! Buena suerte!

We’re no longer in the Foreign Service.

Our exit was probably more graceful than most: we separated from the FS at the end of our first tour and went right into new jobs in Atlanta, Georgia. As you probably don’t know, both me and Lori are attorneys licensed in Georgia–so Atlanta is a natural home base for us. I’m now working for the Public Defender in Atlanta and Lori’s working for an immigration law firm.

We decided to leave for a host of reasons. The FS was never a long-term plan for us, mostly because I was a really bad stay-at-home spouse. Even when I was commuting to Texas to do pro bono asylum work, I would still climb the walls on the days when I wasn’t doing anything. I guess my natural disposition is to be busy doing things I care about–I went to law school so that I could (1) be in a courtroom and (2) help real people with real problems–and there was no real way to do that while being an EFM.

Our departure was accelerated by the bad experiences we had in Mexico. Something really bad security-related happened to us–think grenades and gunfire and whatnot–and State didn’t take the situation or us seriously. A sobering fact that no one really tells you is that FSOs and EFMs are a fungible resource. We realized that, no matter what lip-service we were given, strategic objectives in the US-Mexico relationship were more important than our lives. We didn’t join to die for our country, so we quit.

Of course, we still hold our FS friends dear to our hearts. It’s hard to overstate how wonderful so many people in the FS are, and we’re grateful to know so many. Now that onward assignments have been finalized, we’re already planning trips to Europe and Africa. I’ll be taking photos of lions and zebras before you know it!

I’m not sure what the blog will become now. It started as a way to update our family and friends on what we were doing; never did I think we’d be a part of a virtual FS community.

We’ll keep writing and posting photos; we hope you’ll keep reading.

Celery and pear bisque
Turkey, brined
Cranberry relish
Mexican chorizo and cornbread stuffing
Butternut squash gratin
Roasted sweet potato wedges with smoked chile cream
Potato rolls
Gravy
Rye pecan pie

Before you can practice law in Georgia, you need to do a few things: graduated from an accredited school of law, pass the bar examination, and swear the Attorney’s Oath.  This is me doing the last one.  Today I became Ryan Locke, attorney-at-law.  Exciting!

A couple people have asked about buying prints from the book–you can do so here.

It’s been a little while, hasn’t it? Here’s an update:

1. We’re not dead yet–but not for lack of trying.  If you follow the news at all, you know that Mexico’s security situation is getting way worse, way fast.  We’re still keeping safe (or at least taking war-zone measures to try and keep safe), so rest a little easier at night knowing that we know Mexico is bad and we’re making the best of it.

2.  I’m winning cases and saving lives. I’ve been working for the South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project in Harlingen, Texas–a small project of the American Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, and American Immigration Lawyers Association that represents noncitizens in claims for asylum and certain other forms of relief.  The work is really interesting and my clients, mostly from Ethiopia and Eritrea, can all use the help.  So I’ve been busy!

3.  Now I’m a real lawyer. I found out the other day that I passed the Georgia bar examination!  Now that I have a license to practice law, it is a good time to tell me all about your slip and fall or car accident or medical malpractice or…..

4.  I have a book! I’ve been working hard editing my photographs into a book called YOU ARE HERE: Two years between Mexico and America.  It’s 80 pages of full-page photos–many you’ve seen on the blog, but some you haven’t–and the production quality is incredible.  If you’d like a nice coffee table book that captures Mexico in photographs, you can buy a copy by following the link below. It costs about $80–not cheap, but not expensive for a photo book either–but I am making ZERO PROFIT on it.  Foolish, I know, but (1) I’m no businessman, (2) I do photography and the blog and this book because I love doing it, not because I want money and (3) I want to make the cost as low as possible so as many people can see the book as possible.  So if you want a copy, jump on it before I change my mind.

7 FAM 050 CONSULAR INFORMATION PROGRAM, WARDEN MESSAGES AND THE NO DOUBLE STANDARD POLICY
(CT:CON-339; 08-18-2010) (Office of Origin: CA/OCS/PRI)
7 FAM 051 INTRODUCTION
7 FAM 051.1 Summary
(CT:CON-222; 12-20-2007)
a. The Consular Information Program, established in late 1992-1993 replaced the earlier “Travel Advisory” program and fully addresses the “No Double Standard” policy (see 7 FAM 052).
b. Effective the publication date of this section, the Consular Information Program is refined to make terms and definitions more intuitive and understandable, both to the public and within the Department of State. The program now consists of:
(1) Country Specific Information;
(2) Travel Alerts;
(3) Travel Warnings; and
(4) Worldwide Cautions.
This change replaces the previous category of “Public Announcement” with the term “Travel Alert” and replaces the previous category of “Consular Information Sheet” with “Country Specific Information.”
c. Through this tiered program, the Department informs U.S. citizens/nationals of potential threats to their health or safety abroad.
d. The Consular Information Program also includes Warden Messages issued by posts abroad, Fact Sheets issued by the Department to address topical issues and travel brochures. In addition, the Department (CA/OCS) may issue a Worldwide Caution or regional travel alerts from time to time.
All posts and bureaus are to follow the guidance set forth in this section.
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ONLY A SEVENTH FLOOR PRINCIPAL OF THE DEPARTMENT CAN AUTHORIZE EXCEPTIONS TO THIS GUIDANCE.
7 FAM 051.2 Authorities
(CT:CON-109; 07-13-2005)
The Consular Information Program is not mandated by statute, but several statutes are relevant to the Department’s performance of this function: Section 505 of the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 requires the Secretary to notify Congress whenever the Department issues a travel warning because of a terrorist threat or other security concern (22 U.S.C. 2656e). Section 321(f) of the Aviation Security Improvement Act of 1990, Public Law 101-604 (49 U.S.C. 44905), prohibits the notification of a civil aviation threat to “only selective potential travelers unless such threat applies only to them.” See 7 FAM 040 No Double Standard Policy. See also 22 CFR 71.1, 22 U.S.C. 2671 (b)(2)(A), 22 U.S.C. 4802, 22 U.S.C. 211a, Section 321(f) of the Aviation Security Improvement Act of 1990), 46 U.S.C. 1804.
7 FAM 051.3 Dissemination
(CT:CON-222; 12-20-2007)
Country Specific Information, Travel Alerts, Travel Warnings, Worldwide Cautions and Fact Sheets are disseminated widely both in the United States and abroad. Methods of distribution include the following:
• Consular Affairs Internet web page
• Internet Based Registration System (IBRS) (See 7 FAM 040)
• CA Call Center (1-888-407-4747 (Calling from the United States and Canada) or (202-501-4444) (Calling from Overseas)
• Overseas Security and Advisory Council Internet page (OSAC) through the Diplomatic Security Bureau
• Listserve electronic subscriptions (the Consular Information Program documents reach a wide range of travel agents, airline computer reservation systems, and other interested parties, including the House of Representatives Information System (H.I.S.) by this electronic transfer of information)
• The media through the Bureau of Public Affairs
7 FAM 051.4 Dealing With Your Host Government
(CT:CON-222; 12-20-2007)
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7 FAM 050 Page 3 of 16
a. Host country officials occasionally express dismay or resentment about U.S. Government’s public dissemination of security- related warnings. The Department has no higher responsibility than the safety and security of U.S. citizens. You may explain that U.S. law requires that we share information with U.S. citizens that will assist them to make prudent decisions about their own safety.
b. In certain situations, but only with PRIOR PERMISSION from the Department, you may inform the host government of the imminent release of a Travel Warning. CA/OCS will coordinate Department permission in these cases. Country Specific Information, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings are never subject to negotiation with or censoring by a foreign government.
7 FAM 052 NO DOUBLE STANDARD POLICY
7 FAM 052.1 Statement of Policy
(CT:CON-109; 07-13-2005)
a. In administering the travel information program, the Department of State applies a “no double standard” policy to important security threat information, including criminal information.
(1) Such information, if shared by the Department with the official U.S. community, generally should be made available to the non-official U.S. community if the underlying threat applies to both official and non-official Americans.
(2) If a post issues information to its employees about potentially dangerous situations, it should evaluate whether the potential danger could also affect private U.S. citizens/U.S. non-citizen nationals living in or traveling through the affected area.
(3) If so, the post should notify the Department and request approval of dissemination of the information to the public.
(4) The policy is not intended to prevent the limited distribution of information about threats to specific U.S. citizens/U.S. non-citizen nationals or U.S. corporations. Important security information may be shared on a limited basis when directed toward a specific target or when appropriate to counter a particular threat.
7 FAM 052.2 Origin of Policy
(CT:CON-109; 07-13-2005)
In 1990, Congress passed the Aviation Security Improvement Act, which, in
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7 FAM 050 Page 4 of 16
Section 109, added to the Federal Aviation Act a requirement that the President “develop guidelines for ensuring notification to the public of threats to civil aviation in appropriate cases”. The Act requires that the guidelines identify the officials responsible for deciding whether public notification of a threat is in the best interests of the United States and the traveling public, based on a consideration of among things, the specificity of the threat, the credibility of the information, and the ability to counter the threat. The guidelines were to be distributed to appropriate officials in the Departments of Transportation, State, and Justice, as well as to air carriers. The law prohibits selective notification of a threat to civil aviation to only selective potential travelers unless the threat applies only to them. These and other related provisions are now codified in 49 U.S.C. 44905. After enactment of these provisions, the Department decided to follow similar policies in non-civil aviation contexts.

7 FAM 053.2 Security Threats
7 FAM 053.2-1 Department’s Role
(CT:CON-222; 12-20-2007)
a. The security threat information contained in Travel Alerts and Travel Warnings is derived from threat information gathered from multiple sources, including our posts, the U.S. intelligence community, open sources, and our allies.
b. When security threat information is received, the relevant bureaus in the Department and other government agencies attempt to evaluate whether
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7 FAM 050 Page 6 of 16
a security threat is credible, specific, (aimed at a particular individual or group and/or identifying a time and place) and non-counterable (cannot be avoided by taking appropriate measures).
c. If a threat evaluated as credible, specific and non-counterable is targeted to a specific group or individual, then the Department may notify only that group or individual of the threat. For example, if easily identifiable members of the local U.S. community, such as employees of a particular company, are targeted, there would normally be no need to disseminate the threat information beyond the targeted group.
d. If a threat evaluated as credible, specific and non-counterable is aimed at a broad group (e.g., U.S. citizens or interests, generally), the Department may issue a Travel Alert or Travel Warning, and may authorize the relevant posts to issue a Warden Message.
7 FAM 053.2-2 Post’s Role
(CT:CON-222; 12-20-2007)
a. To ensure that the Department and posts avoid providing contradictory information on security threats to U.S. citizens/nationals, it is essential that you coordinate with the Department on dissemination of any information about potential threats to the safety and travel of U.S. citizens/nationals.
b. If you learn of a security threat, report it to the Department following the established procedures at your post. At this stage, you should not disseminate information about the threat beyond those with a “need to know” (i.e., persons who could develop additional information or help to counter the threat) to avoid violating the “no double standard” policy (see 7 FAM 053). In the event the information is mistakenly disseminated to U.S.G. employees and/or others without a need to know, you should notify the Department immediately.
c. If you believe that you should warn post personnel and/or issue a Warden Message warning the local U.S. citizen/national community about a security threat, you should cable the basis for your concern, along with the proposed text of the message, to the Department for prior approval. If your message pertains to a threat so immediate that you cannot wait until Washington opening-of-business, clear your message with your CA/OCS/ACS desk officer (during Washington business hours), and/or the CA/OCS duty officer (outside of normal working hours), with the proposed Warden Message text. The duty officer may be contacted by calling the Department of State Operations Center. The CA/OCS/ACS desk officer or CA/OCS duty officer will obtain clearances from CA, the regional bureau, Diplomatic Security, and any other relevant bureaus.
d. You may disseminate information about a threat without prior
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7 FAM 050 Page 7 of 16
Departmental approval ONLY if immediate notice is critical to the security of U.S. citizens/nationals and there is no time to seek the Department’s approval. In such a case, you should cable the Department the text of the message immediately after its issuance, specifying how it was disseminated. The Department will then decide whether to issue a Travel Alert or Travel Warning.
e. Remember that if you conclude you should warn your personnel or any U.S. Government employees, whether permanently stationed or on temporary duty abroad, about a security threat, your request for Department approval to warn post personnel should also include a request to share that same information with the non-official U.S. community under the “no double standard” policy (see 7 FAM 052). The policy applies whether the information is shared with U.S. Government employees in town meetings, in post newsletters, by e-mail, or on the telephone. The threat or warning information might include information about locations within the host country including hotels, restaurants, entertainment spots, places of worship, tourist sites, etc. Unless the threat is specific to a particular institution for reasons peculiar to that institution, you should not list names of specific locations, including names of hotels or restaurants, for which threat or warning information is available. You should also refrain from developing lists of “approved” hotels. In providing such lists to the community, you may actually increase the risk that perpetrators could change the target, thus increasing the risk to U.S. citizens/nationals who may be relying on such lists.
f. The Secretary’s Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) was created to foster the exchange of unclassified security related information between the U.S. Government and the U.S. private sector operating abroad. OSAC provides the U.S. private sector with timely information on which to base informed decisions on how best to protect their assets. OSAC is responsible for ensuring that information about specific, credible, non-counterable threats that they learn about from posts is provided to their corporate security headquarters in the United States on a need to know basis only. If a post shares information on a specific, credible and non-counterable threat with the OSAC constituency in a country, then you must also communicate that information to the rest of the non-official U.S. community under the “No Double Standard” policy. Notifying OSAC does not absolve consular officers of the responsibility to keep members of the private U.S. community informed (see 1 FAM 262.1.)
g. You should contact the Department as soon as possible when you know in advance that a situation may warrant a Warden Message. For example, if you believe there is a potential for violence affiliated with public demonstrations planned around political rallies or marking an anniversary of a political or other major event, you should send in the request as
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7 FAM 050 Page 8 of 16
early as possible to allow the Department to respond promptly and appropriately (e.g., authorize the issuance of a Warden Message and determine whether the information needs to be distributed in a Travel Alert). It is helpful not to wait to request Department approval until the day before the anniversary of an event known well in advance to have potential for provoking demonstrations and violence.
h. Post management should ensure that U.S. Government agencies under Chief of Mission authority understand fully the U.S. Government’s “No Double Standard” policy and Department’s guidance on the policy. Chiefs of Mission should advise these U.S.G. agencies that if they share information on a specific, credible, non-counterable threat with their employees beyond those with a legitimate “need to know,” they must share that same information with the non-official U.S. community. You would initially accomplish the sharing of information with the local non-official U.S. community by issuing a Warden Message, cleared by the Department as outlined above. If appropriate, you would then coordinate with the Department on the issuance of a Travel Warning or Travel Alert or the revision of the relevant Country Specific Information.