The Foreign Service Journal, February 2012

10 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 work with the embassy on arms sales and training for Iraqi forces, as well as to provide maintenance for force pro- tection equipment such as mine-resis- tant, ambush-protected vehicles. Under chief-of-mission authority, Embassy Baghdad’s Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq will handle ongoing efforts to develop Iraqi security forces through assistance and cooperation ac- tivities. State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Af- fairs, along with the Department of Justice, has taken over responsibility for the Police Development Program. Embassy Baghdad as a whole will continue counterterrorism cooperation as the primary focus of an information- sharing mission. It will also take over all logistics and other functions previ- ously handled by the military for the embassy compound, such as air service and hospitals. In addition, several consular offices will replace the 16 Provincial Recon- struction Teams currently deployed across the country. Counting aid programs and military assistance, the mission is estimated to cost about $6.2 billion per year. That’s not much when compared with the $80 billion per year spent on the war, but it constitutes more than a quarter of the State Department’s global oper- ational budget. Moreover, with the fis- cal squeeze on in Washington and dwindling congressional interest in Iraq, funding may prove to be a real stumbling block. Already, State has scaled back plans for the transition. For instance, the police training program will be run out of just three locations, com- pared to the U.S. military’s program in all 18 provinces. Most observers concur that State’s C Y B E R N O T E S 50 Years Ago... All of us in the Service have been hearing a lot lately about the need for broadening the background and experience of the Foreign Service. We are being urged to know more about weapons systems, the techniques of decision-making, game theory, probability and science gen- erally. A Senate subcommittee concluded in February 1961 that the armed services have done a far better job than other career services in giving senior officers the kind of training and job experience needed for a broad grasp of na- tional security problems. The subcommittee report stated that State’s need for broadened staff com- petence is perhaps most acute in the area of military and scientific-technical problems. One might argue that the department is not so deficient in these areas as some have claimed, but no one will argue that FSOs should not have a good grasp of military science and technology. … The institution of the political adviser is now well established. Like any vig- orous bureaucratic species, it is increasing in numbers and, it is to be hoped, in effectiveness and influence. — From “POLAD — A Permanent Institution” by Richard B. Finn, FSJ , February 1962. WWW.AFSA.ORG When contacting an advertiser, kindly mention the Foreign Service Journal. AFSA Insurance Plans hirshorn.com/afsa AFSA FAD afsa.org/CFCFAD.cfm AKA Hotel residences stay-aka.com Clements International clements.com ProMax promaxrealtors.com SDFCU sdfcu.org Tetratech Tetratech.com WJD wjdpm.com