The State Department recently e-mailed 250 diplomats and told them that they might be ordered, whether they like it or not, to fill about 50 positions in Iraq next year. It was no secret the U.S. was considering compulsory Iraq service for its diplomatic corps, but the e-mails sparked outrage nevertheless.

So what's the big hoopla? Foreign Service Officers know that while they may put in for a cushy assignment, they go where the State Department needs them.  So what is the real issue?  Is it that it's outright dangerous in Iraq?  Is it that they don't support the Administration's decision to make the US Embassy in Iraq the biggest ever?  Give us your comments...