US fills Iraq diplomat shortage
The US state department says it has found enough volunteers to serve in diplomatic missions in Iraq and will not have to force staff to go there.
The department announced last month that staff might be compelled to serve in Iraq in order to fill 48 posts that would become vacant next summer.
Hundreds of diplomats protested against the possibility, calling it a "potential death sentence".
Standards had not been lowered to find volunteers, the state department said.
"We are pleased to announce that all of the Iraq jobs have been filled by volunteers," spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters on Monday.
An initial shortage prompted the state department to announce that it might dismiss diplomatic staff if they refused to serve in Baghdad and outlying provinces.
Managers will now turn their attention to filling hardship posts at embassies and consulates in a number of other countries.
Over 500 officers are needed for jobs in countries like Afghanistan and Lebanon.
Standards 'not lowered'
The prospect of "directed" assignments caused outcry among a number of diplomats because of fears over security.
Correspondents say their complaints were deeply embarrassing to the department and led Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to urge US diplomats worldwide to volunteer to serve in Iraq.
They also prompted criticism from the US ambassador in Iraq, Ryan Crocker, who said diplomats who put their own personal safety before the national interest were "in the wrong line of business".
State department spokesman Sean McCormack said Ms Rice was confident that all the new volunteers were qualified.
"We in no way lowered the standards in order to get these volunteers," he said.
The secretary of state reserved the right to fill any future positions by directed assignments if necessary, Mr McCormack said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7102988.stm
UPDATED ON:
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2007
4:17 MECCA TIME, 1:17 GMT
Ex-US commander backs Iraq pullout
The former top US military commander in Iraq says American troops should pull out by next year.
Lieutenant-General Ricardo Sanchez said he supported troop withdrawal legislation by the Democratic-controlled congress that calls for most US soldiers to be home within a year.
Sanchez put the blame for Iraq's lack of
security on Iraqi leaders
Sanchez, now retired, was the commanding officer in Iraq shortly after the fall of Baghdad and was directly in charge of combat operations there from 2003 to 2004.
He said US soldiers should be withdrawn because US efforts to improve security in Iraq were not matched by the country's leaders.
The general accused the Iraqi leadership of being unwilling to make "the hard choices necessary to bring peace to their country".
"There is no evidence that the Iraqis will choose to do so in the near future or that we have an ability to force that result," Sanchez said.
He added that the congressional bill "makes the proper preparation of our deploying troops a priority and requires the type of shift in their mission that will allow their numbers to be reduced substantially".
Standoff
Sanchez's critical remarks will be aired on Saturday for the weekly Democratic radio address.
The House of Representatives this month passed a $50bn bill to fund combat operations but set December 15 next year as a target to end the mission.
The matter resulted in a standoff after the White House threatened to veto the measure and Republicans in the senate blocked the passage of the bill.
In October, Sanchez said the US mission in Iraq was a "nightmare with no end in sight".
He also described the order by George Bush, the US president, for 30,000 additional troops to be deployed to Iraq this year, as a "desperate attempt" to make up for years of misguided policies in Iraq.
The Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal happened on Sanchez's watch, with some criticising his leadership.
While he was not charged with misconduct, Sanchez said upon retiring from the military in November 2006 that his career was a casualty of the scandal.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... 2999DA.htm