Summary: In the wake of the U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, Congress provided the State Department with $1.5 billion in emergency supplemental funding to strengthen security worldwide. GAO found that State has made progress in implementing the program funded by the emergency supplemental appropriation. State has reestablished embassy operations in interim office buildings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam and signed a contract to build new embassy compounds. Projects to relocate several other embassies and consulates are also underway. However, the costs to build new embassies in Uganda, Croatia, and Qatar are about $45 million higher than originally estimated, mainly because of upgraded security requirements. State has also made progress in implementing many of its planned security upgrades, including enhancing vehicle inspection and security guard programs, hiring additional special agents and other security staff, and instituting a new surveillance detection program designed to identify hostile surveillance activities and potential attackers. However, major construction upgrades to strengthen security at more than 100 posts are over budget and behind schedule, according to State.
