So, this is a question that has been bugging me since the first time I started watching DS9.

In the beginning of season 1 we have Bashir – a young, impressionable, inexperienced officer on his first real assignment– being approached by plain and simple Garak, who is strongly suspected to be a seasoned Cardassian spy (or worse) and have ties to the Obsidian order. They start having regular, borderline flirty lunches, where they discuss literature, politics and developments on the station. They visit each other’s private quarters (and Garak is obviously able to break into Bashir’s in the middle of the night), exchange gifts (literature and candy), scheme behind the other officer’s backs and take unsupervised trips together (e.g. to the orphanage on Bajor). I think we can also safely say that at least in the first few seasons Garak has a certain level of influence over Bashir. In fact from Garaks point of view, Bashir is the obvious person to approach because of the officers he is the "weakest link", the youngest, least experienced and least likely to be prejudiced against Cardassians. He wouldn't have a chance with any of the others.

How on earth is nobody suspicious of this?

If I imagine today’s military “Young officer meeting suspected spy from another faction for lunch every week, exchanges gifts with him and takes private trips with him” is an 11 on a 1-10 “not suspicious” to “extremely suspicious”- scale.

Bashir even excitedly tells people that Garak approached him right in the beginning and they are not exactly discreet about their friendship and everyone treats it like it’s absolutely nothing to worry about and Bashir is a little ridiculous for thinking he is important enough to be the target of a spy. He may just be a medical officer but as CMO he still has access to all kinds of privileges and classified information that could pose a danger if they fall into the wrong hands or someone turns or blackmails him, as we clearly see when he is replaced with a Changeling.

I enjoy their relationship as much as everyone else but I find it very hard to believe that none of the other officers (Sisko, Kira, Dax, O’Brien, Odo…) who have absolutely no reason to trust Garak (or Cardassians in general) is worried or suspicious. And if they are aware and worried, I’d also find it hard to believe that they would trust a young Bashir to be able to handle a situation like this alone and unsupervised.

Does anyone have a theory?

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EDIT: Because some of the comments seem to assume this: I am absolutely not saying that Bashir is an idiot who would blurt out classified information or fall for any obvious tricks. He is highly intelligent and devoted to Starfleet and to doing the morally right thing. But I think we can agree that early season's Bashir is also inexperienced when it comes to "real" politics and a little too arrogant, idealistic and impulsive for his own good which could easily be used against him by a skilled manipulator such as Garak, if he wanted to. The fact that Garak doesn't (and won't) is not something that Starfleet can anticipate, in my opinion. I would also disagree that a medical officer doesn't know anything of value. Access and override codes, access to medications and medical supplies (to tamper with...) and classified medical information about high ranking Starfleet officers absolutely seems like something worth "cultivating" and that could possibly used to do harm.