WPC  3x\sN|V6P jHֲC2pb7-U?.6lLO W6RrѨ ^':?wVja6W5>k[FN3nˬg,k^1X&8+ۺ$.oڙ՜M Ji&؀u~a2=/H_j/ȢLB͘Xط .ؿ `FS6qwi)~4ܖ Vԇ}kg]?yG:%s ,XƴBXP8Xx_HP/rwK =W$XI>dXYY\ٕ@spDڔl#[x'u A%t23v;vwp(vtm7{.#Ra7n[\;AzJ 0?3(n\bN>/]}ђN4qo6RrZ#UN % 0: ZC ^ w 4   m Z bC UNG E N N UN B Hewlett-Packard HP LaserJet P3010 Series0(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularX($USUS.,8DocumentManagement::ModifiedBooleanTRUEZNJ]/MJntFold3|xU8DocumentManagement::ModifiedBooleanTRUE 6Times New Roman Regular(9 Z 6Times New Roman Regular d !USUS.,  _KEYWORD:GuidelineB  DIGEST:TheDirectivepresumesanexusbetweenadmittedorprovedfactsunderanyofthe  guidelinesandanapplicantssecurityeligibility.Applicantscontactsinacountrywithterrorist t activityraiseanissueofaheightenedriskofforeignexploitation,coercion,etc.Adverse ` decisionaffirmed. L  CASENO:1508842.a1 $ t DATE:02/14/2018  L   8:dd8       `     h      p DATE:February14,2017  8  .؉7r(#(#.AY) xdEgA   InRe:        W ApplicantforSecurityClearance / AY) xdEgA W )   )   ) p ) \ ) H ) 4 )  p )  \  H pX p _ISCR_ԀCaseNo.1508842 \"  H# .؉7r. \XXp  #    APPEALBOARDDECISION  $ APPEARANCES '  &%XX FORGOVERNMENT  X ) JamesB.Norman,Esq.,ChiefDepartmentCounsel 0!*  FORAPPLICANT  "0,  Prose #X0X%&# #-     TheDepartmentofDefense(DoD)declinedtograntApplicantasecurityclearance.OnMay f&!0 3,2016,DoDissuedastatementofreasons(_SOR_)advisingApplicantofthebasisforthat R'"1 decision!securityconcernsraisedunderGuidelineB(ForeignInfluence)ofDepartmentofDefense >(#2 Directive5220.6(Jan.2,1992,asamended)(Directive).Applicantrequestedahearing.On *)z$3 November18,2016,afterthehearing,DefenseOfficeofHearingsandAppeals(DOHA) *f%4 AdministrativeJudgeCarolG._Ricciardello_ԀdeniedApplicantsrequestforasecurityclearance. +R&5 ApplicantappealedpursuanttoDirectiveE3.1.28andE3.1.30. +>'6   ,*(7   Applicantraisedthefollowingissuesonappeal:whethertheJudgeerredinconcludingthat   hisconnectionstoAfghanistanraisedsecurityconcernsandwhethertheJudgesadversedecision  wasarbitrary,capricious,orcontrarytolaw.Consistentwiththefollowing,weaffirm.  _  TheJudgesFindingsofFact  `   EducatedinAfghanistan,ApplicantcametotheU.S.in2008.HebecameanaturalizedU.S. 8  citizenin2013.Applicantsparents,siblings,andstepmotherarecitizensandresidentsof $ t Afghanistan.HisfatherretiredfromtheAfghanmilitaryandwastwiceimprisonedbytheTaliban.  ` Applicanttestifiedthathespeakswithhisparentsonholidaysandwithhismothereverysixmonths.  L  Inhissecurityclearanceapplication,however,hestatedthathespokewithhisparentsandsiblings  8  eachmonth. $    Betweenmid2011andearly2014,ApplicantlivedwithhisparentsinAfghanistanbecause   ofhisunemployment.Applicantwasmarriedbuthassincedivorced.Hisfatherhadarrangedthe   marriage.Hissiblingassistedincompletingthepaperworkforthedivorce.     TheStateDepartmentwarnsU.S.citizensnottotravelinAfghanistanduetopolitical \ instabilityandterroristthreats.ExtremistgroupsoperatewithinAfghanistan,andthecountry H continuestoexperiencecoordinatedattacksbytheTalibanandotherterroristorganizations. 4 Afghanistanhassignificanthumanrightsproblems,suchastortureofdetainees,disregardforthe  p ruleoflaw,andlittleaccountabilityforthosecommittingabuses.  \   TheJudgesAnalysis  4   TheJudgenotedthatcloserelationswithsomeonewhoisacitizenandresidentofaforeign   countryisnotpersedisqualifying.However,underthefactsofthiscase,sheconcludedthat  evidenceofApplicantsclosefamilytiesinAfghanistan,thepresenceofterroristactivityinthat  country,andAfghanistanspoorhumanrightsrecordcreateaheightenedriskofforeignexploitation,  inducement,coercion,etc.InevaluatingApplicantscaseformitigation,shenotedthathehas l regularcontactwithhisfamilymembers,evenifthefrequencyofsuchcontacthasdiminishedinthe X  pasttwoyears.ShealsocitedtotheinfluenceofhisfatherinApplicantsmarriage,suggestinga D! degreeofclosenessintherelationship.TheJudgeconcludedthattheevidenceleftherwith 0"  questionsanddoubtsaboutApplicantseligibilityforaclearance. #l!   Discussion  $D #   ApplicantarguesthathehasminimalcontactwithhisfamilyinAfghanistanandthatthere &"% isnoheightenedriskofexploitation.WenotefirstofallthattheGovernmentdoesnothaveto '#& presentobjectiveevidenceofanexusbetweenanapplicantsforeignconnectionsandhissecurity (#' worthiness.See,e.g.,ISCRCaseNo.1200084at3(App.Bd.May22,2014).Rather,theDirective )$( presumesanexusbetweenadmittedorprovedfactsunderanyoftheguidelinesandanapplicants |*%) eligibilityforaclearance.See,e.g.,ISCRCaseNo.1406653at3(App.Bd.Nov.18,2016).As h+&* theJudgenoted,Applicantscontactsinacountrywithterroristactivitiesraiseanissueofa T,'+ heightenedriskofforeignexploitation,manipulation,coercion,etc.Decisionat79.Giventhe  JudgesfindingsaboutApplicantsclosefamilyrelationsinAfghanistan,thegeopoliticalsituation  ofthatcountry,andhisfathershavingcometotheattentionoftheTalibanonsomeprioroccasions,  wefindnoreasontodisturbherheightenedriskanalysis. t   ApplicantsappealbriefamountstoadisagreementwiththeJudgesweighingofthe L  evidence.However,thisisnotenoughtoshowthattheJudgeweighedtheevidenceinamannerthat 8  wasarbitrary,capricious,orcontrarytolaw.See,e.g.,ISCRCaseNo.1406686at2(App.Bd.Apr. $ t 27,2016).TheJudgeexaminedtherelevantevidenceandarticulatedasatisfactoryexplanationfor  ` thedecision.Thedecisionissustainableonthisrecord. Thegeneralstandardisthataclearance  L  maybegrantedonlywhenclearlyconsistentwiththeinterestsofthenationalsecurity.  8  DepartmentoftheNavyv.Egan,484U.S.518,528(1988).SeealsoDirective,Enclosure22(b): $   Anydoubtconcerningpersonnelbeingconsideredforaccesstoclassifiedinformationwillbe   resolvedinfavorofthenationalsecurity.   @( Order      TheDecisionis AFFIRMED . \ Ѐ0  0` (#(#0 ` (#` (#0 (# (#0h(#(#0h(#h(#X0XXX0L(#(#    `     h   Signed:MichaelY.Raanan `    `     h   MichaelY.Raanan L    `     h   AdministrativeJudge 8    `     h   Chairperson,AppealBoard $    `     h   Signed:JamesE.Moody     `     h   JamesE.Moody p    `     h   AdministrativeJudge \     `     h   Member,AppealBoard H!    `     h   Signed:JamesF.Duffy $H #    `     h   JamesF.Duffy %4!$    `     h   AdministrativeJudge & "%    `     h   Member,AppealBoard#X0XXX0!# ' #&