US ad for ‘eyes and ears’ abroad featuring Big Ben stirs diplomatic unease

‘Sounds awfully spooky, like they’re recruiting for the CIA and not the state department,’ said a former UK diplomat. Photograph: @StateDept

A US state department post recruiting Americans to be its “eyes and ears” abroad – and featuring a picture of London – suggests “unease” in ties, say US and UK diplomats.

In an advertisement for the foreign service over the weekend, the state department invited Americans to “navigate great-power rivalries, defuse global crises, and protect Americans and their interests across the globe”.