U.S. moves toward hiring Pakistani mercenaries

Call it a case of bad timing.

The State Department wants to hire "local guards" to protect its diplomats in Pakistan.
Yes, now. Right after a U.S. military mission gone wrong killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, delivering another battering to an already fragile alliance.

The State Department recently announced it's seeking local Pakistani guards to keep its diplomats safe at the embassy in Islamabad and consulates in Karachi, Lahore, and Peshawar.
Those guards will need to "deter potential terrorist attacks," according to a contract pre-solicitation, by "restricting entry of unauthorized personnel, operation of walk-through metal detectors, and hand-held detectors."

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