Q: When terrorist threats force the closure of embassies in countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, only essential personnel are left behind. Who provides security for these workers?
— William McKee Jr., Flowery Branch
A: The U.S. Department of Defense continued to have "personnel on the ground in Yemen to support the U.S. State Department and monitor the security situation," a Pentagon spokesman said when al-Qaida threats recently forced temporary closures of 19 diplomatic posts in the Middle East and Africa. Last September, the U.S. sent squads of Marines from the Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team (FAST) to protect threatened embassies in Sanaa, Yemen, and Tripoli, Libya. The FAST teams are trained specifically to make "short-notice deployments in response to terrorist threats and to reinforce security at U.S. embassies," The Associated Press reported.
Q: Why isn’t Carters Lake developed for residential lots along its shoreline? Who owns and operates it?
— Mike Cooper, Atlanta
A: A 300-foot buffer was authorized and created for environmental protection purposes around Carters Lake when it was built in the 1970s. "That's the primary reason you don't see residential lots along the shoreline," U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesman E. Patrick Robbins told Q&A on the News in an email. Carters Lake, which is south of Chatsworth and west of Ellijay, is owned by the federal government and is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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