The Foreign Service Journal, March 2006

M A R C H 2 0 0 6 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 17 he Bush administration has created the largest diplomatic mission in the world in Iraq, a country that has become arguably the most dangerous place on earth for American diplomats. Since the presi- dent and the Secretary of State have determined that bringing peace and democracy to Iraq is the number-one foreign policy priority for the United States, the career professionals of the Foreign Service are answering the call to staff both our embassy in Baghdad and the 16 Provincial Reconstruction Teams. Close to a thousand members of the U.S. Foreign F O C U S O N I R A Q A N D T H E F S I RAQ S ERVICE AND B EYOND T T HE WAR IN I RAQ IS HAVING A PROFOUND EFFECT ON THE F OREIGN S ERVICE . I T IS TIME TO DISCUSS WHAT IS HAPPENING AND HOW TO MEET THE CHALLENGES . B Y S HAWN D ORMAN Rebecca Fong