Embassy of the United States

Regional Security Office

Diplomatic Security

The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security (DS) is a federal law enforcement agency with the mission of providing a safe and secure environment for the conduct of U.S. foreign policy. All DSS agents re sworn federal law enforcement officers. 

Every diplomatic mission in the world operates under a security program designed and maintained by Diplomatic Security. In the United States, DS investigates passport and visa fraud, conducts personnel security investigations, and protects the Secretary of State and high-ranking foreign dignitaries and officials visiting the U.S.

DS also trains foreign civilian law enforcement officers in disciplines designed to reduce the threat and repercussions of terrorism throughout the world.

Through the Office of Foreign Missions, the bureau manages reciprocity and immunity issues for foreign diplomats in the United States. DS's role evolves to meet new challenges. DS special agents are protecting the President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, as well as training an Afghan force to take over the responsibility. The bureau is currently completing security measures for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and training assigned staff to live and work safely in Iraq.

Overseas Advisory Council (OSAC)

OSAC Mission is to provide an organization that interfaces with the U.S. Embassy and acquires security and safety information on issues important to American companies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), faith based organizations and private U.S. citizens who reside in Madagascar. DSS has a core responsibility for assisting the U.S. private sector with its security and informational needs overseas. The RSO is responsible for directly managing the program, developing private sector relationships, forming a country council and threat management. For more information please contact the RSO or check out the OSAC website at www.osac.gov.

Rewards for Justice (RFJ) Program

The Rewards for Justice Program is one of the most valuable assets the U.S. Government has in the fight against international terrorism. Established by the 1984 Act to Combat International Terrorism, P.L. 98-533, the program is administered by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security.

Under this program, the Secretary of State may offer rewards of up to $5 million for information that prevents or favorably resolves acts of international terrorism against U.S. persons or property worldwide. Rewards also may be paid for information leading to the arrest or conviction of terrorists attempting, committing, conspiring to commit, or aiding and abetting in the commission of such acts. The Secretary of State has authorized a reward of up to $25 million for information leading to the capture of Usama bin Laden and other key Al-Qaida leaders.

Since the program began, the United States has paid over $60 million to more than 40 people who provided credible information that put terrorists behind bars or prevented acts of international terrorism worldwide. The program played a significant role in the arrest of international terrorist Ramzi Yousef, who was convicted in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. It was most recently instrumental in leading U.S. military forces in Iraq to the location of Uday and Qusay Hussein.

Currently at post, the RSO manages the RFJ program and campaign specifically targeted at Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, the mastermind behind the 1998 bombings in Nairobi, Kenya that resulted in over 200 people killed and over 5,000 wounded.  For more information, please see www.state.gov/m/ds/terrorism

A-OK

Part of an RSOs responsibility is to educated and ensure the security of all Americans in country – and that includes children!

Awareness is one of the best defenses against terrorism and espionage. The Bureau of Diplomatic Security places a high priority on efforts to raise the level of security awareness among the Foreign Service and Americans living and visiting overseas. The A-OK Program, Alert Overseas Kids, provides security and safety information to American children living overseas. The program was designed in 1986 for the children of people working abroad at U.S. missions and those children of the overseas American business community. A-OK covers security at home, on the street, and in school. A-OK goals are to:

* teach children safety and security strategies and techniques that really work;
* build children's confidence and self-reliance so they can act correctly in an emergency; and equip children with the knowledge and skills they need in order to recognize, avoid, and where necessary,
* report safety and security threats.

Security and safety awareness is taught regularly in U.S. schools and young children in America are exposed to safety information through public television. However American children living overseas do not have access to the same information. We offer this security awareness program to teach children basic security rules, with special emphasis on foreign environments and local threats. We know that when we teach safety messages to children, they pass them on to their parents and set an example for the entire family.

A-OK materials are provided to a mission's or post's A-OK program coordinator who tailors the program to the local environment as well as to meet the particular needs of different age groups. A-OK materials cover such topics as:

* Home alone safety
* After-school and emergency safety
* Bicycle and street safety
* Fire safety
* Messages in the media
* Drugs, inhalants, smoking, tobacco
* Sexual and child physical abuse

An annual worldwide contest encourages overseas American children to create their own safety and security messages. For more information on the A-OK Program, emai:  DSPublicAffairs@state.gov