Demarche of Bethesda
A few days ago, Bart, The American Street’s correspondent in Iraq, wondered aloud why none of the members of the State Department’s “Republican Underground” had volunteered for duty in Iraq. That group’s leader, Dr. Demarche, took exception to Bart’s post and issued the following response:
For what it is worth, I did try to get assigned to Iraq, last year. At the time there was (and most likely still is) no need for non-Arabic speakers in my field.
In Bart’s latest note to my Inner Frenchman, he wonders if Dr. Demarche is being a bit disingenuous:
My State Department contacts and friends tell me that there 4 cones of service in the State Department Foreign Service: political, economic, admin. and consular. For temporary assignments, known as TDY’s, State is accepting people from out of their cones who don’t speak Arabic. For instance, if Dr. D is a political officer, he could work it out with his supervisors to fill temporary positions in the consular or admin sections that don’t require Arabic.
Many FSO’s often take a TDY when they are changing posts, which Dr. D is in the process of doing.
June 7th, 2005 at 1:06 am
I’m sure they’d be thrilled to hand him a rifle. The rifles don’t speak Arabic either, but they still do their part.
June 7th, 2005 at 1:51 am
It’s hard to learn to scream in Arabic, but give them time, they can do it.
But, the General should have offered to get them GEDs, no problem. By mail.