Embassy Minsk spent an exhausting year trying to encourage free elections in Belarus. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe was a steadfast ally in an effort to unify the democratic opposition, encourage an independent press, and foster a free and fair democratic process. In the end, the September 2001 election was not free, but the opposition won at least 40 percent of the vote, an astounding result in an authoritarian country. In the wake of this election, it is clear that Belarus has further regressed with respect to democratization. The Belarusian regime is not only authoritarian but would like to turn back the clock and rejoin Russia.
With the election over, the embassy is reassessing policy within the framework of the MPP. Promoting democracy and human rights will remain the highest priority. The Belarus regime?s disregard for democratic values is exemplified further by trafficking in arms to states such as Iraq, Libya, and Iran. The embassy utilizes public diplomacy to communicate with the Belarusian public. A hostile Belarusian security apparatus, which actively seeks to undermine U.S. government initiatives, has precluded cooperation between U.S. law enforcement agencies and their Belarusian counterparts. There is virtually no cooperation between Belarus and the U.S. government on issues such as the drug trade, trafficking in persons, and computer credit card fraud. The embassy limited its pre-election reporting in favor of a strong advocacy program to promote civil society and democracy building. Nevertheless, Washington analysts praised much of the reporting, especially that from the economic section and the defense attach?.
Given the hostile political, security, and intelligence environment, the Department should assign more experienced personnel to Minsk and limit the assignment of first-tour officers who are now a significant portion of the staff and often inadequately briefed for such a difficult tour of duty. The embassy is alarmingly overcrowded and in need of major renovation.
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