Tim Rollins Photo courtesy of Beth Rollins

It seems that we have some problems in the State Department and probably in other agencies as well when it comes to the responsible handling of classified material. So much so, that at least at the State Department, they have had to take extraordinary and revised measures to prevent a continuation of high-level egg on their face that has been occurring over the last couple of years.

One of the changes that has occurred is that State Department employees are told that they must trim classified documents down to slices no larger than 1/32 inch by 1/2 inch. Disposal can also be achieved, they are advised, with machines that can "pulverize" secrets into powder. As for safes storing sensitive materials, they must weigh at least 500 pounds in the hopes that they would be too heavy to be carted off. Such equipment would have been handy at the American Embassy in Tehran back in 1979 when they took our people hostage and they were able to reassemble classified documents from the shreds. What can I say? These ‘students’ (a), had nothing better to do; and (b), if they were students, looked as if they started kindergarten at age 32, according to one friend of mine.

In addition to that, State is having security briefings for its employees, attendance at which is mandatory. More than likely, other agencies will follow suit as well. The goal it seems here on the part of Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is to end a string of security lapses plaguing the department, the result many in Congress believe to be reflective of a culture inattentive to security requirements.

Well, this should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the way that Bill Clinton and his people have been doing things. Look no further than the 1993 hiring of Craig Livingstone, the former bouncer who became chief of security for White House personnel. This is the man who ordered the FBI files of over 900 people that the administration either deemed ‘unfriendly’. ‘hostile’ or ‘potentially difficult’ to the administration and their agenda, which at the time included hijacking the nation’s health care system. The silver lining of that was that the revolt that swept from coast to coast was instrumental in the 1994 elections in putting the Republicans in control of both houses of Congress for the first time in over 40 years.

If you will remember about a year ago, there was a case (at the State Department) of a Russian spy operation that involved the use of a sophisticated eavesdropping device which had been planted in a seventh-floor conference room, which I might add, is just down the hall from Secretary Albright’s office. The Russian who got caught listening to the device outside the State Department was sent packing last December, and as to who planted the device, that remains a mystery.

Even more significant is the case of the laptop computer with highly classified information that disappeared around Feb. 1 from a conference room in the department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research. It was alleged to have contained highly classified information about arms-proliferation issues and about sources and methods of U.S. intelligence collection. These lapses left Albright feeling humiliated.

I remember when I was in the military and the importance that was placed on the responsible handling of classified material. We did it not just because there was a room reserved for us at a place called Leavenworth if we didn’t. We did it because we were properly instructed how to handle such material and to ensure that nobody saw it that wasn’t cleared to see it. James D. Tromatter, who left the Army to work as an expert for security matters at State, says that the most common type of security violation involves leaving classified material uncovered on a desk. This usually occurs when someone leaves for a moment, such as when they are getting a cup of coffee or using the facilities or even to chat with someone at the next desk.

Members of the House and Senate have expressed concerns over the security lapses at State as well. In one instance, Senator Rod Grams (R-MN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee complained that six Foreign Service officers nominated for ambassadorships had committed a total of 62 security infractions, including one with 22 on his record. It is precisely glaring problems such as these that are making it hard for the current State Department to overcome what has become an acquired reputation for lax security. With all the attendant responsibilities that fall under the umbrella of the State Department, such as virtually all of our foreign affairs, it is perhaps the one agency that needs the most safeguards and to have those safeguards fully employed and exercised.

Perhaps a new administration will be able to provide the guidance in that area to restore the needed levels of integrity in a department that is crying out for it so much. We have the chance to make that happen on November 7th.

• Image of Seal of the United States courtesy of the State Department Official Web Site http://www.state.gov/

Copyright © 2000 by Timothy Rollins.
All Rights Reserved.

-Published with permission