[JPG]

As someone who served 28 years as a Foreign Service Officer'

What are people you know, who are still involved, saying about all of this? Do they even trust Obama to keep them safe?

[kabar]

I have been retired for 12 years. People know the risks involved and the fact that we are largely dependent upon the host country for security. There is no way a handful of MSGs can fend off a mob for any length of time.

Most security is meant to buy time so the host government can show up and to destroy classified documents and equipment.

Without knowing the details, I wonder how much warning the Embassy had about the attacks and whether the host government was notified to provide assistance. Usually, if you have any substantial information about a mass demonstration aimed at the Embassy, you reduce the staffing at the Embassy to essential personnel to minimize the risk and you asked for host country support.

Presidents can affect the safety of Embassy personnel. For example, Carter put our folks at risk in Tehran when he announced that he was finally going to allow the Shah to come to the US for treatment. The Embassy has warned what might happen if the Shah was allowed to enter, but the decision was made and the hostage crisis ensued. Entirely predictable.