State Dept. may order staff to Iraq

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- The U.S. State Department says it will order 48 foreign service members to be stationed in Iraq next summer if it doesn't get volunteers for the war-zone duty.

All of the nearly 200 State Department personnel serving in Iraq are in there voluntarily, the Federal Times reported Wednesday. While many have volunteered to stay next year, department officials said it may fall short of next year's staffing level of 252 officers.

About 200 mid- to upper-level employees were notified they are being considered for one-year deployments, a spokesman said. They were selected because of factors such as language skills, job specialties and previous service overseas.

If the employees are ordered to Iraq, it will mark the first time foreign service officers were directed to specific posts since 1969, when 20 entry-level officers were sent to Vietnam.

The spokesman said employees have two weeks to either volunteer or draft a letter stating why they should be excused. Those who refuse to go face disciplinary action, possibly firing.