- The Washington Times - Friday, March 21, 2014

The two U.S. embassies in Pakistan don’t have the resources they need to survive emergency situations, a new report found, putting lives at risk 18 months after the deadly attack on the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi, Libya.

While the Embassy in Islamabad and Consulates General Karachi, Lahore, and Peshawar had adequate emergency action plans — and had sufficient planning, training, and drills for emergency preparedness — there was still concern over a lack of resources, said the State Department’s Inspector General report.

The watchdog recommended that these embassy sites obtain the necessary resources and continue to practice emergency drills. The watchdog also called for the Bureau of Diplomatic Security to further validate emergency preparations and security at high-threat posts, such as those in Pakistan.

Pakistan is considered one of the highest threat countries that U.S. officials work in, and has historically harbored terrorist groups like the Taliban and high-level leaders like Osama bin Laden, said the Cato Institute.

• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.

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