A very small, isolated, frontline embassy in a remote but now strategic country, OIG found that Embassy Dushanbe has borne with distinction a much heavier load than it is equipped to carry. With good leadership and a deep personal commitment by all involved, it has obtained diplomatic, military, and logistical support for the war on terrorism from the Tajikistani government and has also provided many forms of support to the operation of the Tajikistani government from its own resources.
The embassy suffers from many handicaps, beginning with the anomaly of being officially located in Almaty, Kazakhstan, but increasingly working out of Dushanbe. Embassy Dushanbe is not staffed, housed, or equipped to play the role that the expanding U.S.-Tajikistani relationship will require. Improvements are under way, but some of the security restrictions that were imposed in response to previous conditions should be lifted if a new threat analysis indicates that is appropriate.
Policy implementation, including reporting, is necessarily operational and program-related. Core functions are adequately performed but limited by overarching program demands and scarce resources.
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