F/Wretchard/WadeUSAF/Former Marine:

Embassy & Consulate Marine Security Guard personnel are ready to roll 24/7/365, whether they’re in Dress Blues or digital camo. That being said, F is correct in that their mission is to protect classified assets inside the building. If that means holding off the bad guys at the door while the diplomats can burn & shred, then that’s what they do.

U.S. Embassies and Consulates are virtual U.S. soil, wherever they happen to be on the globe. U.S. Marines attacking a force that is *outside* a compound would diplomatically be equivalent to the U.S. military acting aggressively on foreign soil. Hence we have the situation that happened at the Istanbul Consulate a few weeks ago – a few guys with pistols and shotguns were (bravely) stopped by local police while everybody at the Consulate sat safely behind ballistic-resistant doors and windows.

Wretchard, your analogy of the MSG’s is not *too* far off base. MSG’s represent both the ability and necessity of the diplomatic wing of the U.S. Government to protect itself and its assets. While the MSG’s mission is clearly defensive, we’re still talking about the tip of the spear of U.S. military power. An M-16 is still a rifle, regardless of where you point it and why.