[jimmy28]

If it's about building a career for the future, shouldn't that be all the more reason to avoid having his name associated in any way with Iraq or Afghanistan (or any other such predestinate failure)? I'm sure Rufus knows better than I do what the odds are of service in such areas counting for rather than against him, but you'd think that, in years to come, people involved in our Muslim-taming expeditions are more likely to be seen as an embarrassing reminder of a shameful era than as gutsy folk who volunteered for tough duty. Like a civilian Vietnam veteran.

This is leaving out the whole likelihood-of-embassy-bombings factor, which everyone else seems to be ignoring...I doubt any Green Zone will protect him. There's no wall too high for a mortar round to go over, and they've got a lot of mortar rounds over there, I hear.

[WrigleyMike]

Well, I'll give you my reasoning. It doesn't make any sense to go to Haiti or Kosovo or what ever. It's still 'dangerous', I mean accidents could happen. Except no one even knows where those places are.

Iraq, too much activity. A bit of bad fortune and you're out. ALso, why would you want to bring your wife to semi-**** hole anyway? I mean, it's not like there's a lot to do in the 'safer' places. And safer for who? At least you carry a gun, right, and have buddies with guns as well, and your wife?

If you really want to do this, I woudl advice to leave your wife home anyway, and pick something recognizable. So that's why I say Afghanistan, because it's not as dangerous as Iraq, yet it is seen as a hot bed of all kinds of activities. Also, Afghanistan wasn't such a PR failure like Iraq.

I think it's a safer bet.

OR just avoid the whole mess and figure out other ways to advance your career.

[Yfclciak]

Americans are wildly looked up to as they assisted in stopping the ethnic cleansing. Stopping it or letting the Albanian population cleanse the Serbs themselves instead of vice versa?

[Baromaro]

Kosovo or Lebanon.

In no way on God's green Earth would I ever, ever, EVER consider Haiti. EVER.

[Lapsinuibense]

Not exactly.

[GreefeWrereon]

In Africa Ethiopia would be a killer assignment. History, archiology, friendly population, and good food. I admite that the only cuisines in Africa I am familiar with (excluding South African which I expect is similiar to British/American food) is Arabic and Ethiopian. Ethiopian food is awesome; very unlike western food but still very pleasant.

[Pjayjukr]

Originally posted by VetLegion
Kosovo is perhaps safe (I have no idea) It is. Though a single young man has to look out because the fathers are all hot to marry their nubile young daughters off to rich foreigners. I sware I got four firm serious marriage offers while there.

[Karensmith]

Oerdin, tell me something... if a country is poor, say 3rd world rate. Why is it, that they can't shoot straight? Also, is there a connection with them being poor and not able to fight very well?

I mean, to aim and have the skill of proper shooting shouldn't have much to do with money. Before you try to suggest that they have mostly AKs, well, AKs are pretty accurate, you just need to know how to shoot, so I won't accept that as an answer.

Why can't poor people shoot? I'd think they'd be good at it, since it's like a power tool for them, so yeah, I'll be the best at this thing, maybe it gets me somewhere, thsi whole shooting accurately to kill thing.

Also, it seems to me that most of these poor places have 'armies' and even small groups, who just can't be organized enough to get in a line to get food even. It's like they all suffer from ADHD and strong sense of the illogical behaviour when it comes to fighting.

Also, what is the tendency to shoot crazy? I'm yet to see controlled single shots, or short bursts, from any of these soldiers and or rebels who can't afford a uniform.

[Barbshowers]

Originally posted by PuddlewatchHQ
like an interesting place to be. I assume the Chinese government will have a very long term presence in most of those countries. In terms of export markets certainly China would benefit from but perhaps for general trade some day. Though maybe that presence will only last till needed natural resources are depleted. But it looks like things might finally be looking up for some countries there. Except that the Chinese are only interested in making money out of those countries. There's a lot of complaints that they are just the next Europeans. However, the strong anti-Chinese sentiment building there may make you look better. People are weird like that.

[QiuCIOdO]

I would consider Iraq or Afghanistan, if there was a career boost attached. I'm guessing that hazard duty would be looked upon favorably, no matter the ultimate outcome in either place or the changing political winds.

Of course, your wife is a special consideration. But I bet she knew what she was getting into when she married a diplomat, if she's not a diplomat herself.

Good luck!

[Prarnenoexpog]

Kosovo is perhaps safe (I have no idea), but it's a hole with nothing to see or do. It's also not that close to Greece, Italy, or, say, Croatia. Roads are shitty and it's a long drive to any of the nice locations in the neighbourhood so you're not likely to go around much if you have to drive yourself.

Learning Albanian is pretty useless too. It's a dead end language with no close relatives, sounds awful to the ear, is difficult to learn and as such probably won't be useful to your career at all. This perfectly sums up all my fears about a tour there. Balancing them is my strong interest in the Balkans and the fact that a Kosovo tour would give me entree into State's coveted European bureau. But I'm not sure that's enough.

[quote]I would consider Iraq or Afghanistan, if there was a career boost attached. I'm guessing that hazard duty would be looked upon favorably, no matter the ultimate outcome in either place or the changing political winds.

Of course, your wife is a special consideration. But I bet she knew what she was getting into when she married a diplomat, if she's not a diplomat herself. You're right, Iraq's the fast track to promotion. But if there's anything I've learned at my brief time at State, it's that putting career ahead of family is always the wrong decision -- and State is littered with the casualties of such decisions. It's hard to imagine the circumstances in which an unaccompanied (i.e., no spouse) post would be acceptable.

Failing that, French Subsaharian Africa. There are some stable countries there, where safety is not as critical an issue as in other hellholes. And if you're lucky enough to be sent to Bamako, it's a pretty safe city still. These tend not to be the critical-to-fill places, though. Think Abidjan or Brazzaville.

[xgnuwdd]

Haiti. But she's flexible. Saharan Africa's also of interest.

[seawolferr]

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly
You're right, Iraq's the fast track to promotion. But if there's anything I've learned at my brief time at State, it's that putting career ahead of family is always the wrong decision -- and State is littered with the casualties of such decisions. It's hard to imagine the circumstances in which an unaccompanied (i.e., no spouse) post would be acceptable. I agree that it's not worth a marriage.

[ancexiaepidge]

Somewhere were you will not be kidnapped, that would be my priority

[Blellurgews]

Hold on. We're not talking about Tahiti?

[RenyBontes]

[Frinzer]

Originally posted by Merkin Muffley
Would sub-saharan Africa include Kenya or Tanzania? They're not so bad. Aren't Ghana and Cote d'Ivorie fairly safe too?

Are Bosnia or FYROM considered "hot spots"? No, those places seem okay. The biggies are Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Liberia, Senegal, Rwanda, the Central African Republic, and The Gambia.

In the Balkans, only Kosovo is considered critical-to-fill.

It occurs to me that I left off Astana, the new capital of Kazakhstan, but Mrs. Firefly would leave me before going there for two years, so it's not really in the running.