Posted on 01/14/2003 2:52:06 PM PST by grimalkin
WASHINGTON [MENL] -- The United States has launched an effort to withdraw non-essential government personnel from the Middle East.
Officials said the effort is meant to avoid Arab or Islamic reprisals on U.S. personnel over the next few months amid tension in the Persian Gulf and Middle East region. They said U.S. intelligence agencies have warned that Al Qaida and Iraq could intensify attacks on U.S. nationals to foil any Washington-led war against Baghdad.
So far, officials said, the State Department is quietly pulling out non-essential embassy staffers and families in such countries as Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco and Saudi Arabia. They said similar measures will be taken in the United Arab Emirates and other countries.
"We have been seen a series of attacks over Ramadan that indicate that the intelligence warnings of increased threat to Americans in the region are accurate," an official said. "The biggest threat is that of kidnapping of Americans, particularly diplomats."
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Which begs the question: If they are non-essential, what are they doing on the government payroll in the first place?
That is code speak for dependents.
It receives little notice though as it one or two at a time.
Prediction #2: Uday and Qusay Hussein get used as piñatas at the hands of Iraqis...
I imagine that they are there "for the children".
Actually, that's it. Believe it or not, government personnel have families--and we tend to try to support those families with some small copy of the infrastructure they have at home.
I support our guys all the way. I'll even put on a uniform (again) and 'shovel sh-t in Louisana' if it comes to that.
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