The Toughest Job in the World: Iraqi PR Staff at the U.S. Embassy

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The Washington Post's Al Kamen reported on a cable from the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, written just "hours before President Bush left" for his "surprise trip ... to the Green Zone in Baghdad for an upbeat assessment of the situation there." The cable, titled, "Snapshots from the Office: Public Affairs Staff Show Strains of Social Discord," opens, "Beginning in March, and picking up in mid-May, Iraqi staff in the Public Affairs section have complained that Islamist and/or militia groups have been negatively affecting their daily routine." The term "public affairs" describes government PR staff. The cable details increasing dress restrictions on Iraqi women and men, often imposed by people "whose affiliations are vague"; limited and unreliable electricity; and housing evictions that may be retaliatory actions "by new Shiite government authorities." The cable explains that many Iraqi employees must hide their affiliation with the U.S. Embassy. "We cannot call employees in on weekends or holidays without blowing their 'cover'. ... For at least six months, we have not been able to use any local staff members for translation at on-camera press events," states the cable.