Folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one. The State Department is getting ready for a long haul in the Middle East, and it’s not looking good. They’re telling US embassies to plan for reduced staffing, which is just a fancy way of saying “we’re not sure when things will get back to normal.” And by normal, I mean not having to worry about Iran and its proxies attacking our diplomatic facilities. Sources told CNN that the department is asking embassies to create plans to continue operating with a small number of staff on the ground, which is a pretty big deal.
This whole situation is a mess, if you ask me. The war with Iran shows no signs of slowing down, and the State Department is trying to figure out how to keep our diplomats safe. They’ve already ordered nonemergency personnel and family members to leave almost every diplomatic post in the region, which has left a lot of people scrambling to find housing and get their kids into school back in the US.
The State Department spokesperson said that they “do not discuss internal deliberations or post-specific contingency planning,” but they did say that the department “continually reviews the security and staffing posture at every diplomatic mission based on conditions on the ground and adjusts personnel levels as appropriate.” Which, if you ask me, is just a bunch of bureaucratic speak for “we’re trying to figure things out as we go along.”
The plans for “reduced operations” are still in the works, but it’s likely that they’ll mean no children and few spouses will be allowed to return to the region. And that’s a problem, because it means we’ll have fewer diplomats on the ground to do the important work of promoting US interests and keeping an eye on what’s happening in the region.
John Bass, a former career diplomat, told CNN that having fewer people on the ground will limit our ability to provide consular assistance to Americans abroad and to advance the administration’s priorities. He said that leaders might discuss broad agreements, but it’s the experienced diplomats on the ground who really get into the details with the host government. And that’s not going to happen if we don’t have enough people on the ground.
The State Department spokesperson disputed the idea that diplomatic efforts have been limited by having fewer people on the ground, but I’m not so sure. It seems to me that having fewer diplomats in the region is going to make it harder for us to get things done. And that’s not what we need right now.
In conclusion, the situation in the Middle East is a big mess, and it’s not looking like it’s going to get better anytime soon. The State Department is trying to figure out how to keep our diplomats safe, but it’s clear that we’re in for a long haul. And that’s just great, because who doesn’t love a good game of “wait and see” when it comes to international diplomacy? 🙄 As I always say, you can’t make this stuff up, and unfortunately, it looks like we’re going to be making it up as we go along for a while longer.
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
