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Suspension of Security Clearance for Iran Envoy Did Not Follow Protocol, Watchdog Says

US special envoy for Iran Robert Malley (File photo/AFP)
US special envoy for Iran Robert Malley (File photo/AFP)
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Suspension of Security Clearance for Iran Envoy Did Not Follow Protocol, Watchdog Says

US special envoy for Iran Robert Malley (File photo/AFP)
US special envoy for Iran Robert Malley (File photo/AFP)

The State Department’s internal watchdog concluded Wednesday that officials did not follow proper protocol when handling the security clearance suspension of the US special envoy for Iran following allegations last year that he may have mishandled classified information.
The department’s inspector general report, obtained by The Associated Press, stated that in several instances officials “deviated” from the standard process, allowing envoy Rob Malley to access classified meetings and information that would have otherwise been restricted.
“OIG also found that the lack of standard policies for political appointees and the lack of supervision of Special Envoy Malley led to significant confusion as to what work Mr. Malley was authorized to do following the suspension,” the report said.
Malley, who led the Biden administration's effort to revive the faltering Iran nuclear deal and resolve issues related to detained Americans in Iran, was placed on unpaid leave in June 2023 following allegations that he may have mishandled classified information.
Malley’s whereabouts first raised questions when he skipped a classified congressional briefing on Iran in May 2023. At the time, State Department officials told lawmakers that Malley was on “extended personal leave” and suggested that his absence might be related to a family health issue.
The report said that Malley had participated in a classified White House-organized call on Iran after his security clearance was suspended, but stopped short of criticizing him, noting that he was not informed of the action until the next day.
The delay, according to the inspector general, was likely due to uncertainty over Malley's security clearance status within the State Department's top ranks that may have resulted in him retaining access to classified information that he would otherwise not have been able to see.
“The department failed to consistently notify employees who regularly interacted with Mr. Malley that he was no longer allowed to access classified information,” the report said. “These conditions likely led to Special Envoy Malley engaging on issues outside the limited scope of issues on which he was authorized to work.”
In addition, the report found that after Malley's clearance and official email were suspended, senior State Department officials successfully sought to restore his access to the department's unclassified email system.
For the past year, congressional Republicans have been demanding that the State Department produce more information on the suspension and related allegations. The inspector general's report does not address the underlying allegations that led to the revocation of his clearance and which are the subject of a separate investigation.
The inspector general does make several recommendations to the State Department on how to avoid such issues in the future, including synchronizing the personnel guidelines for political appointees to those for foreign and civil service employees. The department agreed with this recommendation and said it expected that to be done before Dec. 31.
The report was circulated internally within the State Department on Tuesday and sent on Wednesday to Congress, where GOP lawmakers have been demanding accountability from the State Department.
“The State Department IG’s report is disturbing and sheds light on the multiple ways the State Department grossly mismanaged Rob Malley’s case and intentionally misled Congress,” the top Republicans on the House and Senate foreign affairs committees said in a joint statement late Wednesday.
Republicans have long opposed Malley's participation in Iran diplomacy, given his role at the National Security Council in the negotiations leading up to the Obama administration's 2015 nuclear deal and what they claim have been improper or suspect contacts with Iranian officials or pro-Iran activists while he was out of government during the Trump presidency and after he returned as special envoy in the early months of the Biden administration.
Malley, who is on administrative leave from the State Department, currently teaches diplomacy courses at Princeton and Yale universities. He could not immediately be reached for comment.

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France’s Mayotte Struggles to Recover as Cyclone Overwhelms Hospitals

This aerial view shows damaged buildings in the city of Mamoudzou, on the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, on December 21, 2024, after cyclone Chido hit the archipelago. (AFP)
This aerial view shows damaged buildings in the city of Mamoudzou, on the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, on December 21, 2024, after cyclone Chido hit the archipelago. (AFP)
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France’s Mayotte Struggles to Recover as Cyclone Overwhelms Hospitals

This aerial view shows damaged buildings in the city of Mamoudzou, on the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, on December 21, 2024, after cyclone Chido hit the archipelago. (AFP)
This aerial view shows damaged buildings in the city of Mamoudzou, on the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, on December 21, 2024, after cyclone Chido hit the archipelago. (AFP)

One week after its worst cyclone in nearly a century, and a day after a testy presidential visit, France’s impoverished Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte is still grappling with counting the dead, restoring essential services and aiding a beleaguered population.

Cyclone Chido wreaked devastation across the archipelago. Already stretched thin, hospitals are overwhelmed with patients suffering not only from cyclone-related injuries but also from dehydration, malnutrition and disease.

At Mayotte’s main hospital in the capital, Mamoudzou, doctors faced a cascade of crises.

“We lost 40% of patient rooms, about 50 to 60 beds,” said Dr. Roger Serhal, chief of the obstetrics and gynecology department. “There are so many patients coming to the hospital, and we don’t have space to admit them.”

As Chido battered the archipelago last weekend with 220 kph (136 mph) winds, Serhal and his team delivered three babies, including by cesarean section.

The hospital’s structural damage has forced staff to triage patients, prioritizing the most severe cases. Though the official death toll remains 35, according to the French Interior Ministry on Saturday, the number of seriously injured has risen to 78, with 2,432 others sustaining minor injuries. Health Minister Geneviève Darrieussecq has warned that any estimates are likely major undercounts “compared to the scale of the disaster.”

Emergency aid was being delivered by air and sea. Since the cyclone, 31 tons of food and 108 tons of water have arrived, with an additional 1.6 million liters of water expected Monday aboard a container ship, according to the Interior Ministry.

The hospital is operating at 50% capacity, while 109 patients have been evacuated to mainland France for urgent care. Three advanced medical posts have been established on Grande-Terre, Mayotte’s main island, to address the surge in need.

The storm has devastated entire neighborhoods. Many people ignored warnings, thinking the storm wouldn’t be so extreme. Even worse, many migrants avoided shelters out of fear of deportation, authorities said, adding there could be hundreds or possibly thousands of fatalities.

Doctors fear that the lack of clean water and electricity — compounded by overcrowded living conditions — is setting the stage for a health crisis. “Patients are coming because their illnesses are untreated, there’s no water, and no electricity. We’re concerned about epidemics, like the cholera outbreak we stopped just months ago,” said Dr. Vincent Gilles, the hospital’s emergency medical director.

The hospital staff continues to work tirelessly, but resources are running dangerously low. “If we have rain it will be catastrophic,” Serhal said.

Among the patients struggling to recover is Saindou Mohamadi, 54, who fractured his arm and sprained his ankle during the storm that left his home completely destroyed.

Speaking from his hospital bed, Mohamadi expressed despair for his family. “My mother is sick, I’m sick, and my child is sick,” he said. “They need to eat, but I’m the one who takes care of the food, and now we have nothing.” With six children to support, Mohamadi is among countless residents left homeless and destitute.

“I’m not alone,” he said. “There are many of us who have lost everything — our houses, our food. I want the government to care about us, to give us food and a place to sleep.”

Mayotte, a densely populated archipelago of over 320,000 people, is also home to an estimated 100,000 migrants, many living in precarious conditions.

The poorest overseas region of France and, by extension, the European Union has long struggled with systemic neglect and underinvestment. Around 75% of its population lives in poverty, and the archipelago’s infrastructure was ill-equipped to withstand a disaster of this magnitude. Chido’s destruction has compounded these challenges, leaving many residents with little faith in the government’s ability to provide timely and adequate relief.

Efforts to deliver emergency aid, including airlifts of water and food, are underway, but the scale of the need is staggering. Mayotte’s airport remains closed to civilian flights due to damage, further complicating logistics.

French President Emmanuel Macron, during his visit on Friday, acknowledged the gravity of the situation and pledged to rebuild but faced criticism from residents frustrated by the slow pace of aid.

Calling the archipelago “totally devastated,” Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau painted a bleak picture — with some 70% of the population gravely affected by the catastrophe, and many left homeless and vulnerable. For now, the island’s residents and its overstretched medical staff are left to confront the daunting aftermath of Chido, one day at a time.