The Foreign Service Journal, March 2006

Second, Muller writes that “DS service seems to attract a different kind of person than is drawn to tradi- tional Foreign Service work.” Most agents join the Foreign Service for the same reasons he and I did, including an interest in international affairs and a desire to experience life in other cul- tures. Furthermore, they come from all types of backgrounds: lawyers, uni- versity professors, computer pro- grammers and stockbrokers, as well as law enforcement service. Third, Muller states that “many DS officers appear to have little inter- est in the substance of work done by their Foreign Service colleagues.” In my overseas assignment I regularly met with cabinet ministers, high- ranking police officials and presiden- tial chiefs of staff to raise issues, dis- cuss law enforcement cooperation and to offer training and U.S. govern- ment support to the host government. I fail to see how the substance of this type of work differs from that per- formed by other Foreign Service offi- cers, nor do I understand how anyone could say that these interactions are not an important part of helping the United States achieve its foreign poli- cy objectives. Finally, Muller opines that DS agents “see themselves primarily as law enforcement personnel whose job is to separate official Americans from the world at large.” This comment strikes at the very heart of the conun- drum of security. When nothing hap- pens, when no one is attacked or killed and bombs don’t destroy our facilities, we wonder why we need all this security and we question whether a threat even exists. Yet when some- thing does happen, we wonder why we didn’t have more security to deter an attack or to defend against it. There are no easy answers and some- one is always left dissatisfied. How- ever, diplomacy cannot be conducted in a vacuum where people regard as chimerical the notion that people and organizations want to hurt and kill Americans, especially official ones. DS is not out to prevent anyone in the Foreign Service from doing his or her job. Yet our agents would not be doing their jobs if they allowed the department or our Foreign Service colleagues to blithely ignore sound security practices in today’s world. Andrew West Special Agent, DS Detroit Joint Terrorism Task Force Discrimination at State Both the Bureau of Human Re- sources and the Bureau of Diplomatic 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 7 L E T T E R S u Home Suite Home The next time you’re going to be in DC for an extended stay, make yourself at home at Georgetown Suites. With our discounted monthly rates and large, comfortable suites, you’ll feel right at home. Plus we’re near the State Department. Call today! Georgetown Suites the fun place to stay in DC 1-800-348-7203 www.georgetownsuites.com sales@georgetownsuites.com t ti ’r i t i f r t t , r lf t t r t it . it r i t t l r t l r , f rt l it , ’ll f l ri t t . l ’r r t t t rt t. ll t ! the fun place to stay in DC 1-800-348-7203 . r t it . l geor t it .