U.S. Ordering Some Diplomats to Iraq (lack of volunteers willing to work at the U.S. Embassy )

Source: Associated Press

(10-26) 16:13 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) --

The State Department said Friday it will require some diplomats to serve in Iraq because of a lack of volunteers willing to work at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

Beginning Monday, 200 to 300 diplomats will be notified that they have been identified as "prime candidates" to fill 40 to 50 vacancies that will open next year at the embassy, said Harry Thomas, director general of the Foreign Service.

Those notified that they have been selected for a one-year posting will have 10 days to respond. Only those with compelling reasons, such as a medical condition, will be excused from duty, Thomas said.

He said those being sent to Iraq will receive extra pay and vacation time. About 50 diplomats will be needed in Iraq by January over the current level of 200.

However, those refusing Iraq duty may face disciplinary action up to and including dismissal for failing to uphold their oath to serve the United States and the Constitution, Thomas said.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/10/26/national/w155803D33.DTL

i hope they are all repugs. they need to put their money where their mouths are.

ellen fl

Sorry, but most of them are not rethuglicans. As foreign service officers, they are politically neutral on the job. They do what the Sec of State orders, regardless of what party he, or in this case she, is a part of. Off the job, they are entitled to their opinions. On the job, they have the same job as the civil service, serve your Department or Agency, and the President.

The fact that of the couple thousand or so foreign service officers that there are, and the bonus money they get for doing a tour to Iraq, it is a pretty strong statememnt that Condi STILL has to order them to go, or suffer the penalty of giving up a career, a pension, health care, and everything they have worked for since they fought their way into the foreign service.

On that same note, I was hoping Condi would start a civilian colonization corps. Since we are going to be occupying Iraq for the rest of thirty years, they should be recruiting followers of president 43, rounding them up at political rallies, and shipping them to Iraq to colonize for the free world.

I mean really, if laissez faire goverment, no taxes, no regulatory burden, and the free market can fix everything, what is there to worry about? Ship five or six million of shrub's biggest fans to Iraq to prove how safe and secure Iraq is, and make the middle east safe for democracy by having them prove in the incubator of middle eastern democracy, that the liar in chief was right all along.

Like you said, they should put their lives on the line for their beloved president.

bush's gummint was fidelity to party? how did he ever let dems in? :sarcasm:

ellen fl

I loathe everything there is about this criminal regime.

"And don't give us any of that 'other priorities' bullshit, either!"

:rofl:

#2 All those Diplomats should resign and bush would have no one to man the place and interfere in Iraqi politics. Let bush et al go over there and do their dirty deeds themselves. They shouldn't mind if Iraq is as safe as they say it is. Remember, al qaeda has been ousted!

the embassy cover-up is just beginning to happen. what a utter fiasco

a violation of anything in the Bush Administration ?

And BTW, it's UPHOLD the Constitution, the Constitution SERVES us.

... to spend more time with their families. Like "dismissal" is any punishment.

Most of our international trade/law people were hired right out of the state department and foreign diplomatic agencies, the money is terrible and the working conditions can be brutal.

It takes almost nothing to lure a diplomat (who doesn't think their personally saving the world) into the private sector. Fire these guys and they will be leaving for much better things.

Source: N.Y. Times

State Department to Order 250 to Iraq Posts

By REUTERS
Published: October 27, 2007
WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 (Reuters) — Facing staff shortages in Iraq, the State Department announced Friday that diplomats would have no choice but to accept one-year postings in the hostile environment or face losing their jobs.

Harry Thomas, the State Department’s human resources director, said about 250 “prime candidates” for vacant Iraqi posts would be notified Monday of the decision. He said that they would have 10 working days to respond to the demand that they go to Iraq in summer 2008, and that only those with valid reasons, like a medical problem, would be exempt.

Until now, postings to Iraq have been on a voluntary basis and often hard to fill.

“If someone decides they do not want to go, then we would then consider appropriate actions,” Mr. Thomas said. “We have many options, including dismissal from the foreign service.”

Many American diplomats say they fear being posted in Iraq because of the risks of working in a war zone. It is a so-called unaccompanied posting, meaning children and a spouse cannot go with the diplomat because of the dangers involved.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/27/washington/27diplo.html?ref=world

---

And people say we never hear the "good news" out of Iraq .... Well some
college republicans can now get their chance to help spread democracy.

:kick: MKJ

So who wouldn't want to be in the green zone with Blackwater
guarding you?

Source: ap



US to order diplomats to serve in Iraq

By MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 34 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - In the largest call-up of U.S. diplomats since the Vietnam War, the State Department is planning to order some of its personnel to serve at the American Embassy in Iraq because of a lack of volunteers.


Those designated "prime candidates" — from 200 to 300 diplomats — will be notified Monday that they have been selected for one-year postings to fill the 40 to 50 vacancies expected next year.

They will have 10 days to accept or reject the position. If not enough say yes, some will be ordered to go to Iraq and face dismissal if they refuse, Harry Thomas, director general of the Foreign Service, said Friday.

"Starting Nov. 12, our assignments panel will assign people to Iraq," Thomas told reporters in a conference call. "Under our system, we have all taken an oath to serve our country, we have all signed (up for) worldwide availability.

"If someone decides ... they do not want to go, we will then consider appropriate action," he said. "We have many options, including dismissal from the Foreign Service."...........

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071027/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_iraq_embassy;_ylt=AmFl3Xql5UMyddqbHv0RTUxg.3QA

of true believers in the pretzeldent's administration any more. Who in there right mind wants to willingly plop themselves down in the middle of a war zone in a shabbily built, compound where security is an unknown quantity, and where most of the locals would not care if you were shot at or even killed. All I can say is, nice job chimpy! Well, after all you were trying to make the middle east the new "Wild Wild West. From all indications you're nearly there.

:popcorn:

She did say that one of the wonderful things *she* had done to fix the debacle that is the pnac pisspot over there was to add more diplomats. I remember thinking to myself, "Oh, those people must be thrilled."

Sigh..............

that has been absolutely gutted of competent employees. I just hope and pray it's not another Republican.

Dismissed those of moral courage who opposed them and promoted loyal, incompetent stooges.

His parents are bushbots to the max, and raised him in like fashion. They kept getting mad at me because I kept speaking out against the war.

Fine mess they've gotten themselves into now, huh?