Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Fortress Embassies Are Back In Fashion

Photo courtesy Art in Embassies Program


















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I'm trying to remember where I put my hardhat and steel-toe safety boots, because all the indications are that the State Department is about to go on another new embassy construction binge.

A key recommendation in the Benghazi Accountability Review Board report was that Congress revive the moribund Capital Security Construction Program by ramping up its funding to compensate for loss of purchasing power since the program was created in 2000. As Admiral Mullen noted during the ARB press briefing, since 2000 the new building program "fell off from 10 buildings - 10 new embassies a year to three, tied to budget constraints, et cetera," and the Board believes it should go back to that original target:

Recalling the recommendations of the Nairobi and Dar es Salaam ARBs, the State Department must work with Congress to restore the Capital Security Cost Sharing Program [here] at its full capacity, adjusted for inflation to approximately $2.2 billion in fiscal year 2015, including an up to ten-year program addressing that need, prioritized for construction of new facilities in high risk, high threat areas. It should also work with Congress to expand utilization of Overseas Contingency Operations funding to respond to emerging security threats and vulnerabilities and operational requirements in high risk, high threat posts.

We'll see whether or not Congress actually appropriates that $2.2 billion for more new embassy construction. The political winds are not blowing in the direction of more spending these days. It's just as likely Congress will instead allow reprogramming from other accounts, which would let them check the 'I-voted-to-improve-embassy-security' box while at the same time not giving the Department a budget increase.

If State really does get more money for embassy construction, I think it will come as a mixed blessing to many in OBO and to their fellow fans of embassy design in the larger architectural community. They were still celebrating the liberation of Art from the shackles of Security by means of OBO's new design excellence program when last September's embassy attacks occurred. Critics of Fortress Embassies could see the writing on the wall after that, and they didn't like it the least little bit.

Consider their disappointment. After twelve years of mass-producing standardized diplokitsch (see the mugshots here) they were finally about to get back into the real design business. And the cherry on top is that the incoming SecState is himself a leading critic of Fortresses who has said this of the post-2000 new embassy construction program:

“We are building some of the ugliest embassies I’ve ever seen,” Senator John F. Kerry said in 2009. “We’re building fortresses around the world. We’re separating ourselves from people in these countries. I cringe when I see what we’re doing.”

All the stars were lining up for a return to the sublime and mysterious architectural values of the era before the now-departed General Williams set OBO on a more mundane course after the East Africa embassy bombings. Now that we are back in post-disaster mode, OBO must once again turn out more new buildings, and I think design excellence will take a backseat to security and numbers. Less quality, more quantity.

Can OBO go back to grinding them out Williams-style after they've done Beijing? I'll be interested in seeing whether this subject comes up at Senator Kerry's confirmation hearing.


22 comments:

James said...

I would like to know your thoughts on current design if you feel you can say anything. Though this is a little up my alley, I am unsure where I fall on art vs security. After all they very well can't work in something designed by Calder or a 1970s Bulgarian youth center.

TSB said...

James,

I don't think there is an inherent conflict between architectural woo-woo style and physical protection. But I do think there is an inverse correlation between the excellence of the design and the number of new buildings that will be completed, due to greater costs.

Many embassy architects have an institutional bias against any requirement that comes from the security side of the house, which is understandable due to the heavy-handed way in which security standards were originally implemented back in the Inman program years (the late 80s).

It's too bad, but many people on both sides see security in buildings as a zero sum game. Any security gain must be an architectural loss.

My first experience at State was being the security representative on the last office building project that OBO handled before security standards became mandatory. Everything
I wanted to put in the building was rejected automatically by the head of OBO's Architectural Branch, a guy we called "Dr. No." Then, after Inman, things see-sawed the other way.

James said...

Quite right. I guess this all goes back to the "acceptable risk" realm. I find myself agreeing with Kerry ( may God strike the tongue from my head) in that we can insulate ourselves to the point ineffectiveness. And anyone who signs up for the FS and doesn't realize the inherent danger in it is a fool. Oh well I'm probably preaching to the choir.
I will say since reading your posts something I never really thought about has become interesting.

James said...

Oh yeah while I'm still an all around smart guy today; the guy in the picture has the cleanest hard hat and hands for a miner I've ever seen.

TSB said...

I'm 99 percent certain that's a model doing some kind of WPA style photo shoot.

James said...

Fake, but accurate?

Anonymous said...

TSB: Egypt is down to $8 billion in foreign currency reserves from $32 B a year ago. I'm sure they need 120 F-16's and 600 Abrams tanks but I bet we could build a lot of great buildings with what it will cost to provide them. Of course if the Libyans don't get their act together Egypt may need to retake Tripoli.
gwb

Anonymous said...

To wit: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/leave-immediately-britons-in-benghazi-warned-to-get-out-due-to-specific-and-imminent-threat-8465313.html

Strange goings on TSB! gwb

TSB said...

GWB: It doesn't look like we'll be returning there for a while.

Anonymous said...

Wow! I was listening to Kerry really pouring it on thick today about restoring Obama's "Vision For the World". I like his baloney a lot better than Rice or Clinton.

It's a pretty long list of places that aren't real happy with us. I wonder where he'll start? gwb

Anonymous said...

U.S. homeland chief: cyber 9/11 could happen "imminently"
ReutersReuters – 15 hours ago

TSB: I was laughing on 1-23 when Sis issued a detailed warning on how to survive snow shoveling without dying but this is serious! Sounds like somebody is about to shut down our power, fuel, food, banks, water and she has no clue where it's coming from! ? Thanks for the heads up Sis! gwb

Anonymous said...

TSB:According to Elliot Spitzer she is going go be a "bulldog" for the regular people. He says those banksters and hedge fund guys are quaking in their boots!

http://www.necn.com/01/24/13/Judge-agrees-to-give-documents-to-Bulger/landing.html?&apID=a33c0875a33d41bea660c805ba4b0850
She also has an A+ rating from Whitey Bulger as of yesterday! gwb

Anonymous said...

TSB: Did you notice that someone hacked a justice dept. web site? It looks like there's going to be a whole lot of new public information that we aren't allowed to read at work here in Orwelland! gwb

Anonymous said...

TSB: It will be interesting to see if Justice is able to reclaim their website and I'd like to hear someone officially say if this was what Sis was scaring us all about the other day? Also, will this scare those senators off of their support for total security legislation? gwb

Anonymous said...

Do cyber-terrorists negotiate with cyber-terrorists? gwb

Anonymous said...

TSB: I have-NOT-read the long 35,000-word script of the hearing on the nomination of Senator John Kerry to be the next U.S. Secretary of State. (and I probably would not agree with this guy's opinion about Syria) but I do think it shows clearly that we do not/have not/will not have a coherent policy on Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan or Africa. That is one thing we can thank the new Sec State for making clear. gwb
http://bit.ly/SQ3dki

TSB said...

GWB: I hadn't seen that news about the DOJ website. Do you suppose they lost anything from J. Edgar's old vault? Now, that would be worth negotiating over.

Anonymous said...

TSB: It looks like they were in there for quite a while and able to take anything they wanted. (Emails, phone #'s,dirt on politicians, prosecuting atty's, judges) and they claim they were able to change sentencing guidelines and delete a bunch of stuff. I'm wondering who will have the guts to print any of it? China Daily? I'm guessing Justice will stonewall this, wait til it hits the State Department and let them come up with a strategy. Did you know the average ransom paid for a hostage in N.Africa is $5.5 million? I hope Juan Cole is in disguise. gwb

Anonymous said...

http://www.wnd.com/2013/01/sabotage-key-iranian-nuclear-facility-hit/

TSB: Lots of stuff going on with Iran lately plus Henry Kissinger says the war danger is goin way up!
gwb

Anonymous said...

TSB: Hillary says no one can predict the future but Ann Jones in her very 1st piece from Kabul in 2006 did a pretty good job. "No peace, No democracy, No reconstruction" She predicted a failure because we did it backwards. It's a good read to compare with Hillary's depiction of her "accomplishments" which I equate to: We just do whatever we want and then call it a big success! gwb http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/116512/ann_jones_on_the_road_to_taliban_land

Anonymous said...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/29/us-egypt-anniversary-idUSBRE90N1E620130129
TSB: Head of Egyptian Army says economy near total collapse. Please put a rush on those tanks and F-16's!

gwb

TSB said...

We'll skip the dealer prep and ship them right away.