It's never a particularly "safe" gig.

Also realize that the U.S. provides primary security at all of its embassies. If we want more security, we can send more Marines.

protecting an embassy or consulate killed a civilian?

Part of diplomacy is to have a physical presence and engagement with other nations. I don't disagree that we should be assessing the security situation in certain countries and begin moving families and non-essential out of harms way. But we cannot disengage with the world simply because there are protests and attacks in a limited number of countries.

I sense these attacks are coordinated by a militant force. The real hard hitters are professionals while the rest are the street riff raff that look for any excuse to get riled up.

What kind of message would it send to the world if all of a sudden we shut down all of our diplomatic missions around the world? It would signal we are going into isolation mode. Do you know what happened the last time we were systematically in an isolation mode (i.e. voted down League of Nations, refused to participate in many international forums, etc.)? World War II happened.

Think carefully before you suggest something this dramatic. As a student of history I could not disagree more.

I completely understand your gut reaction and I share that reaction. But on a cerebral and practical level that proposal is a non-starter.

the physical presence. Lose a passport while in Scotland? Feel unsafe? Get arrested? Good luck with no one to go to. I've needed help before and they were great.

We could double the detail of Marines but if they start killing unarmed civilians when they breach a security gate.

It would be a public disaster nightmare. I wouldn't blame the Marines if they did , if it was to protect the lives of the embassy staff......all bets are off in my opinion

the only American presence in the world is businessmen and the military.

Boo on both of those.

people are there against their wishes.

Isolationism is for freepers.

but they will need essential personnel to remain on post. This is actually a risk you take when you sigh up with the Secret Service.

The terrorists winwith this thinking.

Rush, Hannity, Mitt, Palin