Than a threat to his life.
A number of Foggy Bottom’s Foreign Service Officers are whining about possibly being assigned to Baghdad.
Some of them are even becomeing little bitches over the idea
Several hundred U.S. diplomats vented anger and frustration Wednesday about the State Department’s decision to force foreign service officers to take jobs in Iraq, with some likening it to a “potential death sentence.”
In a contentious hour-long “town hall meeting” called to explain the step, these workers peppered the official who signed the order with often hostile complaints about the largest diplomatic call-up since Vietnam. Announced last week, it will require some diplomats – under threat of dismissal – to serve at the embassy in Baghdad and in so-called Provincial Reconstruction Teams in outlying provinces.
Many expressed serious concern about the ethics of sending diplomats against their will to serve in a war zone, where the embassy staff is largely confined to the so-called “Green Zone,” and the safety outside the area is uncertain while a review of the department’s use of private security contractors to protect its staff is under way.
“Incoming is coming in every day, rockets are hitting the Green Zone,” said Jack Crotty, a senior foreign service officer who once worked as a political adviser with NATO forces.
Employees directly confronted Foreign Service Director General Harry Thomas, who approved the move to so-called “directed assignments” late last Friday to make up for a lack of volunteers to go to Iraq.
“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,” Crotty said. “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?”
If Baghdad had the equivalent of a Marcel’s where this guy could network at, he’d quit his bitchin’. Just a quick look at the stats show DC to be more of a danger to the lives of its residents than Baghdad. Hell, I’d be begging for anywhere besides DC if I were an FSO.
And just where did this guy get the idea that an employer couldn’t assign him anywhere the employer needs him?
Ooops, sorry. Never mind. For a second there I forgot this guy was an employee at State. IQ’s and show sizes match there.
Not surprised. They’re all democrats. Can’t be seen to support the war, what? They all voted for Kerry in the last election…
Hmmm … if I volunteer for Iraq, will the cookie pushers hire me?
In not one of the articles quoting Mr. “Crotty” did they manage to spell his name correctly.
Care to guess what else they got wrong, or otherwise misreported or slanted?
I’ve quoted you and linked to you here: http://consul-at-arms.blogspot.com/2007/11/re-it-is-more-threat-to-his-networking.html
Well, seeing as how I first heard the quote via live recording, I really don’t care what else this jackass had to say unless it was some sort of punchline.So, just how much does Mr. “Crotty” admire Mr. Plame?
I assume you’re referring to the husband of Valerie Plame, Amb. Wilson. I haven’t heard or read anything to indicate an answer either way. I don’t know either of the people involved, nor Mr. Croddy.
I don’t know the senior foreign service officer in question. In a Town Hall meeting setting like that, one speaks for oneself. One guy’s comments out of the three hundred people who took the time to leave their workplace, out of the roughly 2,000 FSOs assigned to the U.S. at the moment(the other 68 percent of FSOs are deployed overseas at any given time), and everybody on the uniformed side of the house is ready to put the entire Foreign Service up against the wall and shoot them.
Who could possibly benefit from fomenting backbiting and disharmony, in the midst of wartime, between our diplomatic and uniformed services? One guess, and it’s not the people of the United States.
Well, I’m glad to read that we’re past the “he was misquoted” stage. Now let’s get down to and past the “IQ” quote stage.
You know and I know that it doesn’t take a genius to get into one of the FSO spots. You should hear, and I’m positive you have, given your back ground, the suit statements alleging the promiscuity of the mothers of the seagoing bellhops on a regular basis. So let’s let insults be insults and put on a second skin for toughness.
Five will get you ten that this guy has been flapping lips with the Code Pink dweebies or their cohorts, as that would be the answer to the question in your last paragraph.
As for the 300 people at the event, his statement was met with applause, as can be easily heard in the recording of his statement. Either this was a themed event or he found a large group of similarly minded individuals by accident.
Myself, with knowledge of the gang mentality at state and my lack of belief in coincidence, am not thinking the latter.