State Department Smacks Diplos for Iraq Tantrum

A group of Foreign Service Officers screamed, when they were told they might be forced to serve in Iraq. Now, the State Department is using its official blog to scream right back. "To my vexed and overwrought colleagues," writes John Matel, a career FSO currently serving in Iraq's Al Anbar Province, "I say take a deep breath and calm down."

*I personally dislike the whole idea of forced assignments, but we do have to do our jobs. We signed up to be worldwide available. All of us volunteered for this kind of work and we have enjoyed a pretty sweet lifestyle most of our careers. *

I will not repeat what the Marines say when I bring up this subject. I tell them that most FSOs are not wimps and weenies. I will not share this article with them and I hope they do not see it. How could I explain this wailing and gnashing of teeth?

*...Calling Iraq a death sentence [like FSO Jack Croddy did other day] is just way over the top. I volunteered to come here aware of the risks but confident that I will come safely home, as do the vast majority of soldiers and Marines, who have a lot riskier jobs than we FSOs do. *

*...As diplomats, part of our work is to foster peace and understanding. We cannot always be assured that we will serve only in places where peace and understanding are already safely established. *

If these guys at the town hall meeting do not want to come to Iraq , that is okay with [me] I would not want that sort out here with me anyway. We have enough trouble w/o having to baby sit. BUT they are not worldwide available and they might consider the type of job that does not require worldwide availability.

Has anyone else ever heard of a federal agency rebuking employees in public like this?

UPDATE: State is asking for $1.5 billion to protect the Baghdad embassy and reconstruction teams, the AP notes.

(High five: TP)