At a regular news conference Tuesday, a U.S. State Department official acknowledged that it continued to have a shortage of Arabic speakers. Specifically, the department needs 547 foreign service officers to fill its Arabic language designated positions. State's aim is to have at least an average of 2.5 Arabic-speaking employees to fill 219 language-designated posts.

The department pointed out that not all Arabic speakers would be filling the language posts.

One way the department is hoping to meet the need for more Arab speakers is to consider any State employee for Arabic language training beginning September, no matter what his or her current assignment may be.