On Oct. 26, the State Department e-mailed 250 diplomats and told them that they might be ordered, whether they like it or not, to fill about 50 positions in Iraq next year. It was no secret the U.S. was considering compulsory Iraq service for its diplomatic corps, but the e-mails sparked outrage nevertheless.
    At a State department meeting on Wednesday, one participant, veteran diplomat Jack Croddy, pointed out the risks of injury and death faced by American diplomats. But he hit closer to the heart of the matter when he told the director general of the Foreign Service, who was leading the meeting, "It's one thing if someone believes in what's going on over there and volunteers, but it's another thing to send someone over there on a forced assignment."
    Iraqis certainly a dangerous place for representatives of the American government. Combat troops are far and away the most likely to be killed or wounded, but diplomats face risks as well. The Green Zone, the heavily fortified home of the U.S. Embassy and the Iraqi government, has been a target for insurgent and militia rocket attacks for years. As the war drags on, the intensity and accuracy of those attacks has increased. Makeshift concrete bunkers are now scattered across the Green Zone, and diplomats are periodically required to don helmets and flak vests when they venture outdoors even within the Green Zone compound. Outside the Green Zone, diplomatic convoys are prime targets for insurgents, militiamen and freelance kidnappers.
    雙語新聞：外交官們?yōu)楹尾辉溉ヒ晾?BR>    10月26日，美國國務(wù)院給250名外交官發(fā)了一封電子郵件，告訴他們明年可能會(huì)被派往伊拉克去填補(bǔ)50個(gè)職位，不管他們愿不愿意。美國正在考慮強(qiáng)制性地派外交團(tuán)隊(duì)前往伊拉克，這已經(jīng)不是什么秘密了。但是，這些電子郵件還是引發(fā)了一片憤怒。
    星期三，在國務(wù)院的一次會(huì)議上，一名與會(huì)者、老資格的外交官杰克·克勞迪指出了美國外交人員面臨的傷亡風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。但是他進(jìn)一步觸及了這件事的核心。他告訴主持會(huì)議的對外司主任說，“有人相信那里正在發(fā)生什么并自愿前往和強(qiáng)迫某人前往是兩回事”。
    對于美國政府的代表來說，伊拉克當(dāng)然是一個(gè)危險(xiǎn)的地方。戰(zhàn)斗部隊(duì)遠(yuǎn)不是最容易遭傷亡的，而外交官卻面臨著風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。重兵把守的美國大使館和伊拉克政府所在的綠區(qū)幾年來一直是反叛者和火箭攻擊的目標(biāo)。隨著戰(zhàn)爭的拖延，這種攻擊的強(qiáng)度和精度都在提高。臨時(shí)性的鋼筋水泥掩體遍布綠區(qū)。外交官們甚至在綠區(qū)內(nèi)活動(dòng)有時(shí)也會(huì)被要求帶頭盔和穿防彈背心。在綠區(qū)外，外交車隊(duì)是反叛者、武裝人員和雇傭綁架者的主要襲擊目標(biāo)。