re: "Spies Like Us"

CAA (that's me!) continued his response to Jeff Emanuel's post at RedState:, responding to punditpawn 's comment of Wednesday, February 8th (at 9:36PM EST (link).

punditpawn said:

"16,000 employees? Does that mean in reality that 15,995 of those are CIA spies and the other 5 run the embassy?"

Response:

"Embassies are the U.S. government representation in a foreign country. They house not only an ambassador and various State Dept. functions (consular, management, political, economic, and public diplomacy) and the activities (communication, security, &tc.) necessary to support them, but various “tenant agencies” housed along with them.

Overseas, those range from the routine (IRS, FAA, GSA, military attaches and liaison/assistance officers) to the exotic (DEA, Marshal Service, Library of Congress).

Much of the Baghdad mission is likely (I have no personal knowledge of this) engaged in various USAID and other development/reconstruction activities with the Iraqis.

Oh, and being called a CIA agent got old when I worked in DC; it’s a lot less funny overseas."

2/9

S&S - Many government employees now face airline baggage fees

Stars and Stripes

Many government employees now face airline baggage fees

By Bryce S. Dubee, Stars and Stripes


Pacific edition, Monday, January 5, 2009


Flying got a little more expensive for some government personnel as Delta Air Lines recently changed its baggage fee policy.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

""Effective December 5, 2008, government travelers on Delta domestic flights will no longer be exempt from the fee to check a first bag," said Cedric M. Green, chief of military pay for the Defense Military Pay Office at Camp Zama, Japan, in an e-mail last week.

Delta joins a growing list of airlines including AirTran, Midwest, United and US Airways that no longer exempt government employees from first bag check fees, according to the U.S. General Services Administration Web site."


"Other airlines listed on the GSA Web site that charge for checking a first bag are also in the $10 to $15 range, with prices for an additional bag ranging between $17 and $50."

&

"For a list of airline baggage fees and exemptions for U.S. government employees and servicemembers, go to the GSA travel Web site here."