Job Opening

Iraq National Security Under Your Wing

Friday, June 30, 2006; A25

Here's one for the up-and-comer who doesn't mind the occasional improvised explosive device:

"Mentor -- National Security Processes (Ministry of Defense). . . . located in Baghdad, Iraq."

That posting has appeared on IntelligenceCareers.com Web site, JobID 119938, put there by an outfit called MPRI Inc., a subsidiary of L-3 Communications. According to the posted description, the successful applicant, who will be paid "240K+" and do the job for about a year, "mentors, coaches, and assists . . . on all defense issues in implementation of Iraq's national security strategy. Mentors, coaches, and assists Ministry of Defense and senior civilian officials (3-star and higher) on content and management of Ministry of Defense advice to the Iraqi Prime Minister and National Security Council on military dimensions of national security issues."

The job seems custom-made for someone who went to the Bush White House on Condoleezza Rice's National Security Council staff in 2001, since the job requires a four-year degree and five years "of extensive experience in the field." Preference is to be given to someone with "actual experience as a principal staffer at the US National Security Council staff or comparable NATO or UN military or civilian interagency organization involved with national security management."

This would be quite a pay boost for a top NSC staffer, whose current salary could be about $140,000 a year. On the other hand, kidnappings and beheadings in Washington are relatively infrequent.

I have any number of friends stateside who work for the Beltway Bandits and they do pay well. They are popular landing places for retired military.