My tax dollar at furlough

April 4, 2007 11:38 PM

So when the gov't pulls its diplomat from Syria as the US did in 2005, what happens to that gov't employee? Is he/she laid off? If she/he stays on the state dept. payroll, what is he/she doing to earn their salary in the meantime?
posted by Fupped Duck to law & government (7 comments total)

In very general terms, State Department employees (and this includes diplomats) frequently change their posts, some specializing in one region, some moving from outpost to outpost every few months or years. It's entirely dependent upon the employee and their strengths and where they'd like to go. If you're a State Department employee and the consulate or embassy where you're working is shut down, then you're moved to another job in another country or brought back to work in D.C. for a period of time. Think of the State Department as a giant multi-national that's based in the U.S. -- if you're an American working overseas, you aren't just going to get fired because your office is closed, you'll be transferred instead. Although it should be noted that in situations like these, it can make for a graceful way to lay off someone who isn't working out. For the locals who worked in the office, they nearly always get laid off and end up having to find other jobs.

Specifically referring to Margaret Scobey, who was the ambassador pulled from Damascus in 2005, my guess would be she remains in D.C. working at the State Department on Syrian affairs and policy and relations with Damascus. Just because she isn't there doesn't mean she isn't still talking to the Syrian government and fulfilling her job as ambassador. This, though, is conjecture.
posted by incessant at 1:51 AM on April 5, 2007

Some ambassadorships are patronage assignments, but the majority of them, and pretty much all of the ones assigned to controversial or hostile countries, are senior career diplomats.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 2:08 AM on April 5, 2007

they get reassigned to another post, usually a better one (it depends on seniority of course).
posted by matteo at 4:38 AM on April 5, 2007

Note that there is a difference between a "diplomat" and an "ambassador." An ambassador is the most-senior ranking American in another country, and he/she is explicitly assigned to advance the national interests of the U.S. Ambassadors are usually appointed politically, though in many countries they're appointed because of their regional expertise more than their Democrat/Republican credentials.

Ambassadors are diplomats, but most diplomats are not ambassadors. Most diplomats are career employees of the U.S. State Department, with a long-range view to American interests that is far less political. Diplomats are technically also appointed to represent the U.S., but most of them have other duties from day to day. They are bureaucrats. Some are consular officers, and spend much of their time aiding troubled Americans abroad or processing visa applications from people in the native country. Some are economic officers, who forge business relationships and advocate for U.S. business interests. Political officers play an analytical role, gathering and interpreting information that the U.S. can use as its policies change. More info here about some of the roles of U.S. diplomats.

Although the U.S. Ambassador to Syria was recalled, the U.S. did not end all diplomatic relations with the nation. Recalling an ambassador does make it more difficult to stay in constant communication, and is a strong political statement . But the U.S. continues to maintain an Embassy in Syria, where diplomats advocate for U.S. citizens who may be in the country, process applications to enter the U.S. from Syrians who wish to leave, and perform other duties.

Here is the web site of the U.S. Embassy in Damascus, which offers clear evidence that the U.S. has not recalled all diplomats and ended relations with that country.

As to what happened to Margaret Scobey: She appears to have been a career Foreign Service officer with the State Department, not a political appointee. The most senior Foreign Service officers sometimes do achieve this level, although there are very few spots and it is extremely competitive. I would guess that getting posts in countries that have a history of having their U.S. embassies attacked might not be quite as competitive as becoming ambassador to France, but Scobey's temporary appointment does still suggest a high level of competence. She is apparently now stationed as a political officer in Iraq (source).
posted by croutonsupafreak at 7:17 AM on April 5, 2007

FSOs are just reassigned.

Margaret Scobey, for example, was moved from Syria to Iraq where she was the head of the Khalilzad's political section.
posted by RandlePatrickMcMurphy at 7:39 AM on April 5, 2007

Sorry, should have read the comment just above me.
posted by RandlePatrickMcMurphy at 7:39 AM on April 5, 2007

A recent article in the New Yorker tells more about Scobey's work in Iraq.
posted by midatlanticwanderer at 10:02 AM on April 5, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]