Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Quickie: A Severely Stretched Service

State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security not only handles security for embassies and other civilian outposts around the globe but also protects foreign officials visiting the United States. With only 1,600 highly trained special agents in the bureau, the Iraq mandate has severely stretched the service. "You'd need the entire [Diplomatic Security] workforce just to do Iraq," a senior State Department official said, "leaving nothing for Afghanistan, nothing for anywhere else in the world."

U.S. Moves to Replace Contractors in Iraq Blackwater Losing Security Role; Other Jobs Being Converted to Public Sector Karen DeYoung │Washington Post Tuesday, March 17, 2009; Page A07

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