U.S. President George W. Bush will hire nearly 1,100 new diplomats to address severe staffing shortages and put the State Department on track in doubling its size over the next decade, the Washington Post reported Monday.
Bush's proposal envisions adding 1,076 jobs at the State Department and diplomatic missions overseas in what officials believe would be one of the largest one-year boost to the ranks of the foreign service.
The plan includes 450 jobs to free up current diplomats for intensive language and national security training, 350 posts for anew Civilian Stabilization Program which would work to improve conditions in post-conflict zones, 200 diplomatic security agents, and 50 political advisers for military commands.
The additional positions are part of Bush's budget for fiscal 2009, the Washington Post quoted unidentified officials as reporting.
The State Department is facing a critical shortage of diplomats, and many embassies are operating at 70 percent of their desired staffing levels.
Last fall, the department said 10 percent of vacant positions would have to remain unfilled this year because of a lack of personnel, the Washington Post said.
Source:Xinhua
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