2012 Presidential Election (free for all edition)

[Slingin Sammy 33]

Originally Posted by Daseal

I couldn't disagree with you more. People going into the Foreign Service are aware of the risks. They know that they will often be in harms way because of where they are in the world. It's important that the United States have a presence in those areas for multiple reasons.
1. To be diplomats -- reach out to the community, engage everyone and learn about their culture and customs. It helps to build bridges.
2. To be available to solve issues for US citizens. That embassy is a little piece of America in every country and the diplomats are, for all intents and purposes, the president of the United States in those countries.
3. Intelligence. Where do you think we get intelligence. It's not on the streets of Georgetown. It's in these dangerous areas. This gives all of our communities a safe harbor in every country. Allowing for secure transmissions and safety.

What do you think Embassyies do, SS? Just grant Visa's? That's just how they create revenue -- it is a tiny portion of what the US Dept. of State actually does.

I know exactly what embassies do, I worked for NSA.

Unless I would send my son into a situation, I'm not sending someone else's son/daughter there. Countries with civil wars and terrorist training grounds are not places where "bridges" are built. U.S. citizens should be made aware of countries where we have no consulate and advised to travel at their own risk (that stuff is already out there on DoS's site).

There was no USMC detatchment at Benghazi. Had there been a USMC presence, doubtful this would've happened. Sorry, if I can't bring adequate US security assets in to protect my personnel, then I'm not setting up shop.

I agree the consulate is U.S. soil. I also agree there should've been some sort of counter-strike on any terrorist organizations/camps even remotely affiliated with this within days of the attack. Nothing invites more violence from evil people than perceived weakness.