By Arshad Mohammed

WASHINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - U.S. diplomats on Wednesday bitterly criticized plans to force them to go to Iraq, with one calling it a "potential death sentence" and another pleading for psychiatric treatment for those who return scarred.

The comments surfaced in an emotional, hour-long town hall meeting after the State Department announced after normal office hours on Friday that "prime candidates" for service in Iraq may have to accept compulsory one-year tours or risk losing their jobs.

Among other things, diplomats told State Department Director General Harry Thomas they resented the fact that the decision broke in the news media before it was cabled to U.S. diplomats around the world late Friday night.

About 250 people received notifications this week that they are in a pool who may be forced to go to Iraq to fill roughly 50 positions for which no qualified diplomats have volunteered to fill next summer.

They could be sent to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad's fortified "Green Zone," which is often hit by mortar fire, or to civilian-military provincial reconstruction teams that seek to nudge Iraq's 18 provinces toward greater government transparency, rule of law and other political milestones.

"I'm sorry but basically, that's a potential death sentence and you know it," said Jack Crotty, who was nearing retirement after more than three decades in the foreign service, including a stint as political adviser to NATO's southern command.

Thomas, who heads human resources for the State Department and sent out the cable on the forced assignments last week, did not respond in detail to Crotty's comments beyond saying that they were full of inaccuracies.

'CANNOT PICK AND CHOOSE' - THOMAS

He also reminded the group that as U.S. diplomats they had agreed to work anywhere in the world, saying that some day U.S. diplomats would serve in Iran and North Korea -- countries with which the United States does not have diplomatic relations.

"We cannot pick and choose where we go," he said. "We cannot shrink from our duty. We have all agreed to worldwide availability."

Another official, Liz Campbell, said people in her office wanted to know why they were informed of the decision after the close of business on Friday and were "very disappointed" with the department that they learned of it in news reports.

Thomas said he was sorry for how the news was released, saying it was "my fault" and reflected the need to consult top State Department officials and to vet everything thoroughly with lawyers.

Rachel Schneller praised Thomas for taking what she called a hard decision to force people to serve in Iraq, saying she was pleased to have spent a year in Iraq herself.

"It wasn't a tour without difficulties for me and it was a war zone and I came back wounded. I came back with a battle scar. I came back and was diagnosed almost immediately with post-traumatic stress disorder and I have been receiving treatment for that ever since," she said, her voice quavering.

"I have to say that absolutely none of the treatment I have received for it came from the State Department. I asked for treatment from the State Department and I didn't get any of it from the State Department."

"But the treatment I have been getting has been excellent and the private sector is a wonderful thing," she said with a small laugh. "Now that you are looking at compulsory service in war zones ... we have a moral imperative as an agency to take care of the people who do take that step to serve their country in war zones ... when they come back."

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