The AP reports:
Nearly half of U.S. diplomats unwilling to volunteer to work in Iraq say one reason for their refusal is they do not agree with Bush administration's policies in the country, according to a survey released Tuesday.
Security concerns and separation from family ranked as the top reasons for not wanting to serve in Iraq. But 48 percent cited "disagreement" with administration policy as a factor in their opposition, said the survey conducted by the American Foreign Service Association, the union that represents U.S. diplomats....
Of respondents who said they were unwilling to serve voluntarily in Iraq, separation from family was identified as a reason by 64 percent, security concerns by 61 percent and policy disagreement by 48 percent. The other main factor, difficulty in doing the job, was identified as a factor by 42 percent.
We've been over this issue before (see the boss's "Of Diplomats and Men"), but this is the first time I've seen any hard numbers. The folks who don't want to be separated from their families, I'm sympathetic, but that's the job they signed up for. As for the 61 percent who won't go because of fears about their security, that's straight-up cowardice. It's a disgrace that 42 percent of our diplomats have no qualms about saying that they won't do a difficult job for fear of failing, or that 48 percent won't do their job--carrying out U.S. policy--unless they agree with that policy, but how can people be so shameless as to say up-front they won't do their job because they're scared. There are a lot of female reporters working in Iraq, and a lot more female soldiers. I'm sure they're scared, too, but they've got the dignity to get the job done. It's a shame we can't say the same about our diplomats.
