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November 1, 2007
State Department faces Iraq call-up rebellion
The US State Department is facing an unprecedented rebellion by foreign service officers over a threat to force diplomats to accept postings in Iraq, the first large-scale "directed assignments" since the Vietnam War.
Tempers boiled over at an hour-long "town hall meeting" at the department last night, where several hundred diplomats vented their anger at the decision to approve the call-up and one veteran diplomat criticised it as a "potential death sentence".
The United States is building its largest embassy anywhere on the banks of the Tigris but is still around 50 short of a target to fill 250 diplomatic posts in Iraq by next summer. It announced last Friday that it will require some diplomats - under threat of dismissal - to serve at the embassy in Baghdad or in reconstruction teams in outlying provinces.
Many at the meeting expressed serious misgivings about the ethics of sending diplomats against their will to work in a war zone, where the embassy staff is largely confined to the protected Green Zone - especially since the department is reviewing the use of private security guards.
A growing number of diplomats find themselves living more like soldiers on the frontline
“Incoming is coming in every day, rockets are hitting the Green Zone,” said Jack Croddy, a senior foreign service officer who once worked as a political adviser with Nato forces. He and others confronted Harry Thomas, the Foreign Service Director General, who approved the move to “directed assignments".
“It’s one thing if someone believes in what’s going on over there and volunteers, but it’s another thing to send someone over there on a forced assignment,” Mr Croddy said, to loud and sustained applause from the audience. “I’m sorry, but basically that's a potential death sentence and you know it. Who will raise our children if we are dead or seriously wounded?”
Mr Thomas responded by saying the comments were “filled with inaccuracies”.
According to the Washington Post, three State Department employees have been killed in Iraq since the US-led invasion of 2003.
The meeting became even more rancorous when John Naland, president of the American Foreign Service Association - the diplomats' union - spoke of a recent survey showing that only 12 per cent of its members believed that Condoleezza Rice, the Secretary of State, was "fighting for them".
“That’s their right, but they’re wrong,” Mr Thomas said. "Sometimes, if it’s 88 to 12, maybe the 88 percent are correct,” Mr Naland replied. “Eighty-eight percent of the country believed in slavery at one time; was that correct?” shot back Mr Thomas, who is black, in a remark that drew boos from the crowd.
Dr Rice was not present for the meeting, although her top adviser on Iraq, David Satterfield, did attend.
Sean McCormack, a State Department acknowledged the session was “pretty emotional”. He said that all diplomats sign an oath to serve, obligating them to be available to work anywhere in the world.
"It's a pretty sensitive topic and, understandably, some people are going to have some pretty strong feelings about it," Mr McCormack told reporters after the meeting.
“Ultimately, our mission in Iraq is national policy. It is the foreign policy set out by the secretary as well as the President of the United States.”
Some of those at the meeting made clear that they did not object to the idea of directed assignments. But they questioned why the State Department had been slow to respond to the medical needs of those who had served in dangerous posts.
“I would just urge you, now that we are looking at compulsory service in a war zone, that we have a moral imperative as an agency to take care of people who ... come back with war wounds,” said Rachel Schneller, who said that she had returned from a tour in Basra with post-traumatic stress disorder only to find that the department would not authorise treatment.
“I asked for treatment, and I didn’t get any of it,” she said, winning a standing ovation from her colleagues.
Under the new order, 200 to 300 diplomats have been identified as “prime candidates" to fill 48 vacancies that will open next year at the new US Embassy and in provincial postings. Those notified have ten days to accept or reject the position. If not enough say yes, some will be ordered to go.
Only those with compelling reasons, such as a medical condition or extreme personal hardship, will be exempt from disciplinary action. Diplomats forced into service in Iraq will receive the same extra hardship pay, vacation time and choice of future assignments as those who have volunteered.
More than 1,200 of the department’s 11,500 Foreign Service officers have served in Iraq since 2003. But the generous incentives have not persuaded enough diplomats to volunteer for duty there.
The last large-scale "directed assigment" was in 1969 when an entire class of entry-level diplomats was sent to Vietnam. On a smaller scale, diplomats were required to work at various embassies in West Africa in the 1970s and 1980s.
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Just shows the disloyalty of these civil servants to their masters, the elctorate. These people have undercut Reagan's policies, Lawrence Eagleberger, the Bushes, Rice... . so many political liberals have burrowed in to the government it will take several generations to cure the infestation... this was a self-absorbed,petty- self-important political protest, just like the spoiled trust-fund hippy cowards who would rather lose wars for their country than be personally inconvenienced, protested. Bless their hearts. Be fired people.
Lim, Cumberland, MD USA
This action borders on treason. It's a prime example of "staff capture" of a public institution. The job of the State Department is to carry out the policies of the President and Commander in Chief. All those who don't do their duty should be dismissed and probably prosecuted. This is a golden opportunity to clean out that rotten fifth column and re-claim the diplomatic service by the elected representatives of the people.
American volunteer soldiers are winning the war against a movement that makes the Nazis look civilised. President Bush will go down in history as one of the greatest leaders of free men and women, who stood almost alone in this desperate fight for democracy and freedom against enemies, foreign and domestic.
George , Sydney, Australia
This war was stupid from the beginning and I wish they would strike or walk out on this crazy administration. People know
about the "Project for a new American Century" there are other
ways with dealing with the future other than war.
Sandra, Grosse Ile, Michigan
If only the diplomats had been able to convince Saddam to leave Iraq they wouldn't be in this position.
Failure to do your job has consequences.
M. Simon, Rockford, Illinois, USA
I think everyone is missing the point. A diplomat has no place in a WAR ZONE. The US govt. is always shutting down some embassy somewhere because of the security situation. Any other embassy under that kind of threat would have been shut down long ago. 250 diplomats in Baghdad is obscene and we should not/not have a mission there until the country is safe. The job of a diplomat is not to fight a war. I don’t know if diplomats supported the war from the beginning but I do know that they could do precious little to stop it.
cohen729, houston,
Send Bush to Iraq? What would that accomplish?
If you sign up for a job and the job description includes you may be placed anywhere world at the descression of the secretary of state and then you end up getting placed somewhere you don't like, it's definately the goverments fault. Cause bush is stupid, right?
Patrick, Indianapolis, USA/IN
I smell Democrats. The treacherous socialist cowards.
Jim Bo, Phoenix, Arizona
By the time the embassy is finished, George Bush will be out of office. Shouldn't he be the FIRST to be drafted there? It's his baby after all and he SOOOOOOO believes it's a success!
Suzanne, Calgary, Canada
So send BUSH there,he will be out of a job in another 18 months! The perfect candidate
Karen, Calgary, Canada
So much for the sinecure posting in St. Barts (or London for that matter) Just like the reservists and national guardsmen & women, the diplomats are now finding out what their eimployment contract really means and what happens when you dont speak up.
TK, stamford, CT, USA
These are the representatives of an American administration that asks its troops to bear the perils of duty in Iraq, at the cost of over 3800 killed & thousands more wounded. The representatives of an administration whose invasion & occupation to bring peace & liberty to Iraq has resulted in between 100,000 (Iraq Health Ministry) and 600,000 (Lancet) civilian deaths.
So if I understand correctly, it’s OK for US soldiers & foreign civilians to pay the price, but unless “…a foreign service officer believes in what’s going on over there and volunteers†he should not be forced.
That’s an interesting message to send the world.
Nick, St Ouen, France
How many of those diplomats voiced their opposition to the war before the U.S. sent soldiers? If they had done a better job soldiers would not be dying now.
Thomas Brashear, Brownsville Texas
Thomas Brashear, Brownsville , Texas, USA
If they supported the war back when it started then why shouldn't they go over to Iraq? They are happy to let other people die but not put them selves up in the line or fire.
They are cowards to support invading a country etc and then start crying when they mension that some of them are gonna have to go over there them selves to help.
Hypocrite
Andy T, England,
It is about time people within government started rebelling by saying NO against this fraudulent and internationally dangerous war.
Roger, Newton Centre, MA
"You take Uncle Sam's coin, you do Uncle Sam's bidding."
Except that, since they're civilians, they have the option to just say "no" and find a different job.
The sooner this debacle is over, the better.
Greg, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
They seem quite happy to send their brothers and sisters in uniform to serve at their bidding.
David Masu, Zürich,
Where is April Glaspie, our former Ambassador to Iraq whose brilliant "diplomacy" with Saddam Hussein precipitated the first Gulf War? If she's still around, she should lead this charge.
John Connor, New York, N.Y.
American soldiers volunteer for Iraq and American diplomats are drafted! Who shows the real courage of their convictions?
Gregory Baker, Odenton, Maryland, USA
State Dept policies are the main cause of the continuation of the Iraqi war. Their "no partion of Iraq" position has resulted in a significant loss of local support for US military presence there, support which was strong in 80% of the local population back in 2003.
And yet, State Dept personnel clearly don't want to take personal responsibility for their own positions.
They created the situation; they, more than anyone else, should be posted there.
Maybe it will open their eyes to the reality on the ground.
gary w pearson, Austin, Texas
You take Uncle Sam's coin, you do Uncle Sam's bidding.
TJ Cassidy, Arlington, Virginia, USA
Hurrah - perhaps they'll stop sending troops to their deaths as well, and we can all get the hell out of that damn hell hole that is now Iraq, and leave the Iraquis to murder each other, not us.
Jane Scott, London, UK
Overpaid pompous civil servants, they all need to rotate to these positions since it was their government that started the problem!
Jeaney, Toronto, Canada
And these people think that they can rule the world? What a bunch of cowards! America faces the greatest defeat if it start war in Iran, just because America's ruling class (and diplomats are a part of it) is scared of the world they are suppose to rule. They can only bomb defensless people far away, but they are scared to step on the ground of the country they "liberated".
Oleg, Torontp, Canada