Civilian Soldiers of Fortune Head for Iraq to "flesh out" their Resume's.

[KoKo]

CIVILIAN WORKERS
Mix of Idealism and Résumé-Building Motivates Americans Seeking Jobs in Iraq
By GLEN JUSTICE

ASHINGTON, May 22 — Ty Cobb Jr. was fresh from law school and eager to add to a résumé that already included answering mail in the Virginia governor's office when he heard through contacts that the Bush administration was looking to fill civilian jobs in Iraq.

So despite having little foreign experience beyond touring Europe and studying there for a summer, Mr. Cobb headed to Baghdad. He has since traveled the country — often packing a 9-millimeter pistol or an AK-47 — to help educate Iraqis about democracy. He says he is committed to the United States' mission there, but he is not shy about saying that there are career calculations behind his adventure: he hopes it will lead to a government job.

"If they look at a résumé and see that someone picked up and moved to Iraq for seven months, they will put their faith in you to handle the rigors of any position," Mr. Cobb said.

Hundreds of Americans have converged on Iraq for all kinds of reasons. Some consider it rewarding to try to bring democracy to the Iraqis. Some are in it for the adventure. For some, it is a combination of the experience, the fervor for supporting the administration's goals and the sense that it is more exciting than work back home.

Many of these recruits have top-notch skills. But the downside, foreign policy experts say, is that some lack the proper experience for such difficult and often unsafe assignments.

"A vast number of people are being recruited who have no qualifications, no background, and who have never done anything serious in the U.S.," said Anthony Cordesman, a Middle East expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

Daniel Benjamin, who is also at the center working on the postconflict reconstruction project, said some who go to Iraq were altruistic, some were opportunistic and others were just doing a job.

"For better or worse, this is the biggest show in town and it's a place to get your ticket punched," Mr. Benjamin said.

The jobs are filled by the Coalition Provisional Authority, the United States civilian administration that is running Iraq. Created just over a year ago, the authority has about 1,160 employees, including more than 325 members of the military and about 150 workers from other countries, according to authority officials. Some are on loan from government agencies in Washington, while others have been hired from the outside. Most recruiting is done through a Defense Department Web page called Sofia (Support Our Friends in Iraq and Afghanistan), which seeks people interested in "assisting the fledgling governments in their quest to become full-fledged democracies."

"People who submit a résumé need to understand that conditions may be harsh, primitive and hazardous," the Web page says. "Conversely, there may be few opportunities in life to make such a lasting contribution to world peace."

The authority has received more than 11,000 résumés, and though officials say political affiliation carries no standing, Republican connections seem to help some of them stand out.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/23/politics/23REPU.html?pagewanted=print&position=

[hexola]

1. And we have armed forces guarding our borders...

The rape and plunder continues...what hypocrites!!!

[Moderator]

2. KoKo01

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
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DU Moderator

[Deja Q]

3. Government job? What a thickhead. (which was already obvious...)

From federal to state to local, the people in charge are trying to get rid of government workers and replace them with the lowest-cost corporate bidders. Say "toodles" to privacy and data integrity because our own government has sold out. (lots of programs are outsourced to India. If you thought it was bad enough that your credit report information is kept in India, welcome to a new low.)