Hassan

Hi,

i keep hearing diplomatic pouch but never understood what it is or how it is mailed, air or boat. how does it worK?

Thanks

Rete

It is a pouch/bag of mail that the agency waits to ship out either until it is nearly filled and/or a certain day of the month. I don't believe anything goes by boat any more that is not a package and will be sent by mail. It is the long way of doing things if you are dealing with a US Consulate in a country that doesn't get much official communications.

Rete

Pulaski

It is a bag that contains diplomatic papers which is accorded the same protection (by international convention) as the embassy that sent the pouch. It cannot be opened or searched, the contents are confidential and reserved only for the country that owns the pouch.

I know that they are sent by air, but I don't know exactly how - whether mail, courier service, or carried by embassy walk-on courier.

icantthink

Diplomatic puches are not quite pouches anymore - more like boxes these days. They are always put onto commercial flights as ordinary baggage, though with the markings clearly identifying them as diplomatic luggage. An embassy person is always on the flight.

Any documents that are sensitive are usually carried in carry-on luggage, sometimes chained to the courier.

In the US, there is an office in the Dept of State that does nothing but babysit diplomatic luggage. They fly 4-5 days a week to and from various parts of the world.

Greg Johnson

icantthink wrote:
    > Diplomatic puches are not quite pouches anymore - more like boxes these days. They
    > are always put onto commercial flights as ordinary baggage, though with the
    > markings clearly identifying them as diplomatic luggage. An embassy person is
    > always on the flight.
    > Any documents that are sensitive are usually carried in carry-on luggage, sometimes
    > chained to the courier.
    > In the US, there is an office in the Dept of State that does nothing but
    > babysit diplomatic luggage. They fly 4-5 days a week to and from various parts
    > of the world.


Now *that* might be an interesting job.... for awhile.....

Or unless someone _really_ wants what it inside the pouch.

    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Chris

Yep Rete is correct on this just want to confirm it... It is a case that is not
subject to inspection, and they wait to ship it until it is full or after a certain
amount of time has passed, which is why it can take up to 4-6 weeks for packet to
reach certain embassies if there is not much correspondence between them and the US..

Chris

Mark

T
"Chris" wrote in message
news:5a4c0131.0209020032.-
[email protected]...
    > Yep Rete is correct on this just want to confirm it...
    > It is a case that is not subject to inspection, and they wait to ship
    > it until it is full or after a certain amount of time has passed,
    > which is why it can take up to 4-6 weeks for packet to reach certain
    > embassies if there is not much correspondence between them and the
    > US..
    > Chris

Jay S

How often do these pouches get sent between Canada and the US?