TWO diplomats formerly in the US Embassy in Dublin who disagreed with the ambassador, Mrs Jean Kennedy Smith, on Northern Ireland and the granting of visas, are to be given awards for their courage".
The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) will next month present the awards to Mr John Treacy, who had been the press and public affairs officer, and Mr James Callahan, the former consul general.
They are being commended by the AFSA, according to the Washington Post for showing great "courage" and "integrity" when they objected to the ambassador recommending a US visa for the Sinn Fein president.
Mr Callahan is also commended for insisting on proper procedures for issuing US visas to Irish immigrants when the ambassador was urging flexibility.
The complaints of the two men against their subsequent treatment by the ambassador led to the State Department ordering an inquiry.
A confidential report by the inspector general said the ambassador had breached State Department regulations by retaliating against the career officers but Mrs Kennedy Smith denied that she had done so.
She was formally reprimanded by the Secretary of State, Mr Warren Christopher, but as a political appointee such a rebuke can do her no professional harm.
Her support for the Adams visa was seen by the then government led by Mr Reynolds as a valuable contribution to the peace process.
President Clinton's decision to grant the visa also showed that he approved of her policy, even if it was not that of the State Department.
By granting the awards, the AFSA is putting out a message to its members to "stand up and be counted when the conventional political wisdom is against you", according to the Washington Post.