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2004-06-10 Iraq-Jordan

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Posted by .com 2004-06-10 2:06:13 AM|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 I'm sure all the grads are just lined up to go to Iraq

Posted by Not Mike Moore 2004-06-10 2:30:17 AM|| 2004-06-10 2:30:17 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 A former palace of Saddam will be the State Department's temporary quarters??? Fire the guy who came up with that "insensitive" suggestion. In fact, why not fire the whole darn State Dept. for all the good it does us.

Posted by rex 2004-06-10 3:15:10 AM|| 2004-06-10 3:15:10 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 And what exactly are 900 State Dept. flunkies, assisted by no less than 600-700 Iraqis, going to be doing in Baghdad pray tell, when we still haven't figured out who are the good guys and the bad guys? And please don't tell me that State Dept needs all these warm bodies so they can better implement the infamous Visa Express program in Iraq that was such a big hit in Saudi Arabia...

Posted by rex 2004-06-10 3:31:09 AM|| 2004-06-10 3:31:09 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 It sounds like we are setting up a massive "listening post" for the entire Mid-East region. It'll probably have more satellite dishes than parking places.

Posted by Zenster 2004-06-10 3:31:29 AM|| 2004-06-10 3:31:29 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 Without saying how many officers are fluent in Arabic, Ricciardone said, "We wish we had more."
Lots of dishes for listening to a language that State Dept cannot understand, #4. Of course, State Dept. will trust that a proper translation is done, courtesy of the 600-700 new Iraqi hires. he, he

This has the makings of a good Keystone Cops plot.

Posted by rex 2004-06-10 3:39:08 AM|| 2004-06-10 3:39:08 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 And the skillsets desired will be, shall we say, a tad more diverse than provided by mere graduates of the ~~Miss Debbie's School of Charm & Cotillion~~ ~~Saudi University of Retirement Pandering~~ US Foreign Service.

Posted by .com 2004-06-10 3:39:51 AM|| 2004-06-10 3:39:51 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 Skillsets desired: Speak Arabic, look Arabic, the ability to blend in, and, ah, er, and must type 60 words a minute, ...

Posted by Dragon Fly 2004-06-10 6:50:12 AM|| 2004-06-10 6:50:12 AM|| Front Page Top

#8
#3 And what exactly are 900 State Dept. flunkies, assisted by no less than 600-700 Iraqis, going to be doing in Baghdad pray tell, when we still haven't figured out who are the good guys and the bad guys?

They will be figuring out who are the good guys and the bad guys.
.

Posted by Mike Sylwester 2004-06-10 7:11:00 AM|| 2004-06-10 7:11:00 AM|| Front Page Top

#9 The question is whether or not a majority of the embassy staff will even be on State's payroll. I think not.

Posted by AzCat 2004-06-10 9:57:51 AM|| 2004-06-10 9:57:51 AM|| Front Page Top

#10 IIUC, the people Azcat is thinking of would nominally be on State's on payroll. They would actually get a check cut by State, get State benefits, etc. I presume there are arrangements to deal with the interagency financial issues. Of course Azcat may be thinking of people from Treasury, Commerce, etc, rather than what I was thinking of.

Posted by Liberalhawk 2004-06-10 10:06:24 AM|| 2004-06-10 10:06:24 AM|| Front Page Top

#11 Lots of dishes for listening to a language that State Dept cannot understand, #4. Of course, State Dept. will trust that a proper translation is done, courtesy of the 600-700 new Iraqi hires. he, he

The listening posts will be in Baghdad, doesnt mean the translation has to be done in Baghdad.

Posted by Liberalhawk 2004-06-10 10:12:43 AM|| 2004-06-10 10:12:43 AM|| Front Page Top

#12 I'm sure they're all good Company men.

Posted by Seafarious 2004-06-10 10:23:01 AM|| 2004-06-10 10:23:01 AM|| Front Page Top

#13 Hmmm...anybody wonder how long that building will stand?

Posted by jules 187 2004-06-10 10:57:08 AM|| 2004-06-10 10:57:08 AM|| Front Page Top

#14 no doubt in 3234 the United States of Earth will be renovating the place ( now a museum) and tour guides will be telling folks "This building represents the turning point for pre-civilization Arabic lands, where despots were disposed and democracy institutions installed; which, of course, still continue to this day. Here the democratic forces of the central North Americans, then known as Americans.. etc"

Posted by dcreeper 2004-06-10 1:10:40 PM|| 2004-06-10 1:10:40 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 Explain to me why you believe that the slam dunk CIA are any more effectual than the Visa Express State Dept. Righttt...

I'd put my bets on the 600-700 new Iraqi hires running circles around the spooks, unless there are a good number of Kurds and Mossad hired as part of the 600-700 Iraqi help, to keep everyone "honest." And puhlease, no jail and Geneva Convention for the traitors...just disappear them. Let's keep it simple.

Posted by rex 2004-06-10 1:15:26 PM|| 2004-06-10 1:15:26 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 The listening posts will be in Baghdad, doesnt mean the translation has to be done in Baghdad.

Bingo, LH. There will also be a wealth of photo reconnaisance gathered that requires no linguistic expertise. Even without any grammatical interpretation, ELINT mapping of telecom traffic patterns and signal origins will provide a valuable schematic of terrorist activity in the region.

Hmmm...anybody wonder how long that building will stand?

I would wager that their final location will be second only to Fort Knox or Cheyenne Mountain for perimeter security.

Posted by Zenster 2004-06-10 5:06:27 PM|| 2004-06-10 5:06:27 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 I expect it might be possible to to outsource a lot of translation. The Zionist Entity has many fine arabic speakers.

Posted by Shipman 2004-06-10 7:44:27 PM|| 2004-06-10 7:44:27 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 I expect it might be possible to to outsource a lot of translation. The Zionist Entity has many fine arabic speakers.

Posted by Shipman 2004-06-10 7:44:44 PM|| 2004-06-10 7:44:44 PM|| Front Page Top

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