http://www.undiplomatic.net/2008/08/11/security-vs-contact-terror-and-the-foreign-service/ Bringing foreign policy back, girl. Those other countries don't know how to act. Thu, 17 May 2012 14:49:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 http://www.undiplomatic.net/2008/08/11/security-vs-contact-terror-and-the-foreign-service/#comment-385 Digger Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:41:34 +0000 http://www.undiplomatic.net/?p=306#comment-385 In my days in Jerusalem, we (the lower level officers) pushed hard for greater access to the West Bank (since the Consulate in Jerusalem is, after all, our mission to the Palestinian Authority). But in the years following the deadly attack on our convoy in Gaza, no RSO wanted to be the one who eased restrictions and got someone killed. I understand their concern, and certainly I was not looking for a quick exit to the afterlife, but it makes it hard to do your job when you can't easily go meet people, and, because of Israeli restrictions, they can't easily come to you. In my days in Jerusalem, we (the lower level officers) pushed hard for greater access to the West Bank (since the Consulate in Jerusalem is, after all, our mission to the Palestinian Authority). But in the years following the deadly attack on our convoy in Gaza, no RSO wanted to be the one who eased restrictions and got someone killed. I understand their concern, and certainly I was not looking for a quick exit to the afterlife, but it makes it hard to do your job when you can’t easily go meet people, and, because of Israeli restrictions, they can’t easily come to you.

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