Cables

An acknowledgement letter, stating the request is being processed.

Mr. Fernandes,

This is in response to your email concerning your FOIA case control number F-2019-07272

Your request is still in process. We will follow-up with our colleagues about your request for an estimated date of completion in this case.

We truly appreciate your continued patience.

If you have further concerns or any questions regarding any FOIA-related matter, please contact the FOIA Requester Service Center (FRSC) at 202-261-8484 or send an e-mail to foiastatus@state.gov<mailto:foiastatus@state.gov>
Regards,
Katrina M. Wood
U.S. Department of State
FOIA Requester Service

Official
UNCLASSIFIED

Mr. Fernandes,

This is in response to your letter dated July 12, 2019, concerning the FOIA case number F-2019-07272.

Your request is in process. We will follow-up with our colleagues about your request for an estimated date of completion in this case.

We truly appreciate your continued patience.

If you have further concerns or any questions regarding any FOIA-related matter, please contact the FOIA Requester Service Center (FRSC) at 202-261-8484 or send an e-mail to foiastatus@state.gov<mailto:foiastatus@state.gov>
Regards,
Katrina M. Wood
U.S. Department of State
FOIA Requester Service

Official
UNCLASSIFIED

Official
UNCLASSIFIED

Mr. Fernandes,

This is in response to your email concerning your FOIA case control number F-2019-07272.

Your request is in process. We will follow-up with our colleagues about your request for an estimated date of completion in this case.

We truly appreciate your continued patience.

If you have further concerns or any questions regarding any FOIA-related matter, please contact the FOIA Requester Service Center (FRSC) at 202-261-8484 or send an e-mail to foiastatus@state.gov<mailto:foiastatus@state.gov>
Regards,
Katrina M. Wood
U.S. Department of State
FOIA Requester Service

Official
UNCLASSIFIED

Sir or Madam,

This is in response to the e-mail received. Your e-mail was sent to the wrong address. The Office of Information Programs and Services (IPS) at the U.S. Department of State has another e-mail address that accepts questions on FIOA cases:

foiastatus@state.gov<mailto:foiastatus@state.gov>

I hope this information is helpful. If you have further concerns or any questions regarding any FOIA-related matter, please contact the FOIA Requester Service Center (FRSC) at (202) 261-8484, or fax us at (202) 485-1669 or send an e-mail to foiastatus@state.gov<mailto:foiastatus@state.gov>
Regards,
Katrina Wood
U.S. Department of State
FOIA Requester Service Center

SBU - DELIBERATIVE PROCESS

Mr. Fernandes,

This is response to your email concerning your FOIA case control number F-2019-07272

Your request is in process. We will follow-up with our colleagues about your request for an estimated date of completion in this case.

We truly appreciate your continued patience.

If you have further concerns or any questions regarding any FOIA-related matter, please contact the FOIA Requester Service Center (FRSC) at 202-261-8484 or send an e-mail to foiastatus@state.gov<mailto:foiastatus@state.gov>
Regards,
Katrina M. Wood
U.S. Department of State
FOIA Requester Service Center

I am from the Department of State/Bureau of Administration/Office of Information Programs and Services (A/GIS/IPS). We are contacting you regarding your request with the tracking number F-2019-07272 which we received on 24 June 2019. We apologize for the tardy reply. We'd like to work with you to modify the request so we can provide the records you need sooner rather than later. Toward that end, it would be helpful if we had more clarity about the records you seek.
You request cables and other communication to and from our six diplomatic posts in Germany for a period of three years and six months which mention eight keywords or names. It has been tasked to the relevant office, as per your request. So far, our Search Team has located 300,000 possibly responsive records. This is overly burdensome by the Department's standards. Please be aware that each record must be reviewed and cleared by more than one American staff member with Top Secret Clearance. If a record is from another U.S. Government agency or mentions another agency, that agency must go through the same process. In short, as it stands, it may take a year or longer to review all the possibly responsive records. We don't think that would serve your purpose.
You request a search for records in a period of three years and six months (January 2015 - 16 May 2019). Narrowing the timeframe should limit the number of documents to be reviewed. Usually, the requester's interest is triggered by an event, such as a meeting, a policy speech, announcement or a consular service. We then search our records for the time period before and after the event, usually a few weeks. Perhaps if you think about the event which prompted your query, it will help to focus your request.
We recommend you consider the timeframe for documents and additional limiting search terms that would yield records most germane to your interest. If you still need additional records, you could submit a second, more focused FOIA request based on your results from the first request rather than cast a broad net initially.
These are just ideas, I'm confident you can think of effective ways to narrow the request. Reformulating your original request with an eye toward narrowing its scope and making it more specific would help us fulfill your request thoroughly and expeditiously.
If you'd like, we can make an appointment to speak on the phone about your request. We can use e-mail to arrange a time to speak or you can call me on my private mobile line (I'm teleworking) during business hours at: (956) 337 - 9016.
Thank you.
Joseph De Maria

As I mentioned in our previous correspondence, I am not the Primary Analyst for this request. I have forwarded your queries to the Primary Analyst.

That being said, off the record, I have looked into for you. Possibly responsive documents have been located and they are awaiting review. That's all I can see because it is not my case. For example, I cannot see how many possibly responsive documents have been located.

If you would like an official response to your status check, please contact FOIAStatus@state.gov<mailto:FOIAStatus@state.gov>.

I hope this is helpful.

Thank you.

Mr. Willam Fernandes,

This is in response to your email below regarding FOIA case number F-2019-07272.

This request is in process and has a November 15, 2022, estimated date of completion (EDC). EDCs are estimates and are subject to change. Please be advised that the Department takes its FOIA responsibilities seriously and is processing this request as quickly as possible. If the request can be completed prior to the EDC, a response will be sent sooner.

If you have any concerns or questions regarding a FOIA-related matter, please contact the FOIA Requester Service Center at 202-261-8484 or send an e-mail to foiastatus@state.gov<mailto:foiastatus@state.gov>.
Regards,

Katrina Wood

U.S. Department of State

FOIA Requester Service Center

Please disregard the email below from the FOIA Requester Service Center. We will follow-up with you to provide a new estimated date of completion for your request.

We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

Thank you,

U.S. Department of State
FOIA Requester Service Center

Mr. William Fernandes,

This is in response to your email below regarding FOIA case number F-2019-07272.

This request is in process and has an October 1, 2024, estimated date of completion (EDC). EDCs are estimates and are subject to change. Please be advised that the Department takes its FOIA responsibilities seriously and is processing this request as quickly as possible. If the request can be completed prior to the EDC, a response will be sent sooner.

If you have any concerns or questions regarding a FOIA-related matter, please contact the FOIA Requester Service Center at 202-261-8484 or send an e-mail to foiastatus@state.gov<mailto:foiastatus@state.gov>.
Regards,
Katrina Wood
U.S. Department of State
FOIA Requester Service Center

Dear Mr. Fernandes,
Thank you for contacting the FOIA Public Liaison at the Department of State. The FOIA Public Liaison assists requesters in reducing delays, increasing transparency and the understanding of the status of requests, and assists in the resolution of disputes. This is in response to your email regarding your case, F-2019-07272.

I sympathize with your frustration concerning the speed of the processing of your request. Your case currently has an Estimated Date of Completion (EDC) of October 1, 2024. EDCs are subject to change and are “strictly” estimates and not intended to be used as “actual” dates of completion, due to various extenuating factors. In the meantime, you will be notified of the results of the Department’s search and review efforts in response to this request when that information becomes available.

We appreciate your continued patience. Future correspondence regarding the status of your case, may be sent via email to FOIAStatus@state.gov<mailto:FOIAStatus@state.gov> or you may call the FOIA Requester Service Center at (202) 261-8484. Please provide the DOS control number on all correspondence.

Sincerely,

U.S. Department of State
FOIA Program Manager/FOIA Public Liaison
Office of Information Programs and Services