US "Embassy Iraq", the largest fortress in history, est. cost 1 billion

[cyberpj]

Iraqis call it "George W.'s Palace".
It has it's own, separate, utilities AND secret detention facilities.
Anyone remember hearing this lie? ..."If Iraqis ask us to leave, we'll leave."

This needs a lot more attention.

3 articles follow:

(1)
In the chaos of Iraq, one project is on target: a giant US embassy
From Daniel McGrory in Baghdad
May 03, 2006

THE question puzzles and enrages a city: how is it that the Americans cannot keep the electricity running in Baghdad for more than a couple of hours a day, yet still manage to build themselves the biggest embassy on Earth?

Irritation grows as residents deprived of air-conditioning and running water three years after the US-led invasion watch the massive US Embassy they call “George W’s palace” rising from the banks of the Tigris.

In the pavement cafés, people moan that the structure is bigger than anything Saddam Hussein built. They are not impressed by the architects’ claims that the diplomatic outpost will be visible from space and cover an area that is larger than the Vatican city and big enough to accommodate four Millennium Domes. They are more interested in knowing whether the US State Department paid for the prime real estate or simply took it.

cont'd...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2162249,00.html


(2)
The U.S. Embassy will be the De facto Capital of Iraq
by Stan Moore
Sunday April 30 2006)

"The U.S. embassy in Iraq is not being built for the Iraqi people's interests. It is being built to facilitate and manage long-term American control of Iraq."

snip...
The myth of democracy for Iraq is about as shallow and as subtle as this reinforced concrete building. Iraqi governance will for years be directed, controlled, manipulated, and protected by the United States of America and its military and corporate leadership. The assets of Iraq will be managed, siphoned, extracted, liquidated, and strangled from the U.S. embassy. Iraqis who oppose this program will become among the "disappeared" and will not be allowed to influence Iraqi governance or policies.

snip...
The U.S. embassy in Iraq is not being built for the Iraqi people's interests. It is being built to facilitate and manage long-term American control of Iraq. The U.S. embassy will be more like the Pentagon than like an administrative home of diplomatic activity. Iraq's fate rests with the fate of that embassy, and it is a foreboding, threatening, frightening monument to the stealing of an entire nation, its future, and its soul by a greedy, powerful, heartless, and merciless occupier.

http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/29818


(3)
U.S. Building Its Largest Embassy in Iraq
By CHARLES J. HANLEY, AP Special Correspondent
Friday, April 14, 2006

snip...
"The presence of a massive U.S. embassy — by far the largest in the world — co-located in the Green Zone with the Iraqi government is seen by Iraqis as an indication of who actually exercises power in their country," the International Crisis Group, a European-based research group, said in one of its periodic reports on Iraq.

snip...
"Embassy Baghdad" will dwarf new U.S. embassies elsewhere, projects that typically cover 10 acres. The embassy's 104 acres is six times larger than the United Nations compound in New York, and two-thirds the acreage of Washington's National Mall.

snip...
Original cost estimates ranged over $1 billion, but Congress appropriated only $592 million in the emergency Iraq budget adopted last year. Most has gone to a Kuwait builder, First Kuwaiti Trading & Contracting, with the rest awarded to six contractors working on the project's "classified" portion — the actual embassy offices.

Higgins declined to identify those builders, citing security reasons, but said five were American companies.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/04/14/international/i105942D92.DTL

[movonne]

1. I guess that this is more important than our troops...and America

don't seem to care...yes I know there are many, many that do, but we should.

[cyberpj]

3. It would help people care if they KNEW. I blame the corporate media.

There are so very many stories not getting attention while corporate owned talking heads argue over gay marriage and immigration bills that will never get passed.

It seems bloggers have to explode issues and get people talking about it before it makes network news these days.

So let's talk it up. And send it around.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. How about building the Iraqi's hospitals? I thought we were not staying?

[cyberpj]

10. Think anyone will care more after Sunday's HBO Baghdad ER? (link)

I think that's pretty sure to show typical Iraqi hospital conditions:

http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/baghdader/?ntrack_para1=feat_sec2_image

[BrklynLiberal]

16. I would think so!!!!

:mad:

[cyberpj]

20. More info - on the projects not getting done:

BEHIND SCHEDULE

A US Inspector General’s report into reconstruction found that although $22 billion had been spent, water, sewage and electricity, infrastructure still operated at prewar levels

Despite “significant progress” in recent months, less than half the water and electricity projects have been completed

Only six of the 150 planned health centres have been completed

US officials spent $70 million on medical equipment for health clinics that are unlikely ever to be built. More than 75 per cent of the funds for the 150 planned clinics have been allocated

Task Force Shield, the $147 million programme to train Iraqi security units to protect key oil and electrical sites failed to meet its goals. A fraud investigation is under way

Oil production was 2.18 million barrels per day in the last week of March. Before the war it was 2.6 million

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2162249,00.html

[eFriendly]

4. Nothing learned from history

Ressentment among Iraqis over the U.S. embassy is already growing. I foresee another event like the one at the U.S. embassy in Tehran, in 1979 -- where the grounds are stormed by an overwhelming number of Iraqis, hostages are taken, and the U.S. eventually abandons it.

[cyberpj]

6. We'll see. That's probably exactly why this one IS a fortress. From one

despot to another.
It's all they've ever known.
Because of the oil.
And/or the religious fanaticism.

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. This is so monstrous that it is beyond my comprehension.

It's the sort of thing that happens in sci-fi movies.

[MadMaddie]

7. They can build a fortresss on foreign soil but they..

can't rebuild the Gulf Coast....Hey for any Repug lurkers....I suppose you are proud...

And yes this will be another Tehrahn....

[Disturbed]

8. Money for Iraq Reconstruction is gone but...

Rethugs and Dems still vote money for this Fortress.

If al Sistani really cared about the people of Iraq he would issue a Fatwa to his millions of followers to destroy that monstrosity.

[cyberpj]

9. I'm not so sure anymore congress even knows the details.

The vote for more money for Iraq war and are afraid to vote no because it looks like not supporting the troops -- but do they really know where the money goes? We certainly don't!

[bvar22]

11. Pictures of the New American Embassy

Financed by Greed & Arrogance, the new American Embassy in Baghdad:





The PNACers and Republicans do indeed want to be gods!
The Irony is overwhelming.

[cyberpj]

18. Really - THIS is the only photo I've seen so far:

Iraq
The Times May 03, 2006
From Daniel McGrory in Baghdad

In the chaos of Iraq, one project is on target: a giant US embassy

Building work at the 104-acre complex, known locally as 'George W's palace', is supposed to be secret, but it is impossible to disguise the cranes dominating the Baghdad skyline

[bvar22]

21. The pics in my post

are artists concept of the Original Tower of Babel which the Republicans are cluelessly trying to reproduce in Baghdad.
"Those ignorant of History are doomed to relive it."



http://www.ldolphin.org/babel.html

The original location of the Tower of Babel was in Iraq.
http://www.unmuseum.org/babel.htm
It was constructed by Humans who sought to become like gods.
The quote that the NeoCons use to brag about their new Palace in Iraq is that "It is so large, you will be able to see it from space."

The parallels of arrogance are unmistakable.

[lumpy]

12. The US embassy in Iraq will be the

De facto capitol of the Mideast if Bush has his way. Headquarters for covert operations, military administration, ministry of propaganda etc.

[cyberpj]

13. And all out of the sight and minds of the US.

They'll probably modify any embassy rules to exclude this one "during war".

[lumpy]

15. Seriously I do believe this is the plan.

If Iran is squashed as well as Iraq and Afghanistan this will be the power house headquarters in the Mideast. After all Bushco has stated their intentions of bringing their form of freedom and democracy to the region. It is so apparent. It is an extension of the European attempts in the past to bring the Mideast to heel, only a modern version.

[Bucky]

14. I love historical reinactments! What happened to the last Tower of Babel?

You know the Tower of Babel. It's that place where people thought they were doing stuff in God's name, but then ended up running around shouting a lot and not really being able to communicate with each other, until the whole enterprise fell apart in a catastrophe of rubble and blood.

My tax dollars at work.

[LUHiWY]

17. ...the endless war.......

.....do a web search on: " us dollar and oil"



http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/RRiraqWar.html




http://www.financialsense.com/editorials/petrov/2006/0120.html

[cyberpj]

19. MEANWHILE... Here are some of the projects that are BEHIND SCHEDULE:

BEHIND SCHEDULE

A US Inspector General’s report into reconstruction found that although $22 billion had been spent, water, sewage and electricity, infrastructure still operated at prewar levels

Despite “significant progress” in recent months, less than half the water and electricity projects have been completed

Only six of the 150 planned health centres have been completed

US officials spent $70 million on medical equipment for health clinics that are unlikely ever to be built. More than 75 per cent of the funds for the 150 planned clinics have been allocated

Task Force Shield, the $147 million programme to train Iraqi security units to protect key oil and electrical sites failed to meet its goals. A fraud investigation is under way

Oil production was 2.18 million barrels per day in the last week of March. Before the war it was 2.6 million

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2162249,00.html

[Polemicist]

22. It's a Neo-Col's dream...

That's right, Neo-Col, not Neo-Con.

A NeoColonialist. What we seem to be on track to become in Iraq.

[cliss]

23. Don't worry.

When they throw our asses out, they will move in and use the Embassy, just like L. Paul Bremer moved into Saddam's Palaces.

It's recycling, see?

Just think.....there will be TV sets, a nice swimming pool....even a sauna down in the basement.

Let them finish it. And then let the Iraqis have it.


It's the least we can do for them.

[JPZenger]

24. Its a Halliburton Project ... Of Course

Of course, the overall construction contract went to a subsidiary of Halliburton. Then they subcontracted much of the work to a Kuwaiti company who are using low-wage Asian temporary workers for much of the work. There is no reason to try to employ all those millions of unemployed Iraqis, is there???

Here's a major article on the embassy from yesterday's Knight-Ridder papers:

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/nation/14628738.htm

Excerpt:

"Baghdad may have little potable water and only a few hours of electricity a day, but the embassy complex will have its own water treatment facilities and electricity generator...

First Kuwaiti General Trading & Contracting, a subcontractor of Halliburton's Kellogg, Brown & Root subsidiary, was granted the $592 million construction contract. By December, it already had been paid about $483 million. The company is a relative novice when it comes to embassy building and has been criticized for its treatment of Asian workers, who critics say are imported for their willingness to work for low wages and who labor under hard conditions. About 900 laborers live on site as they build the complex, according to a report by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which has congressional oversight responsibility for the project.

Beyond security, it's no secret why a luxurious embassy might be needed in Baghdad. The State Department is finding it more difficult to persuade people to staff the embassy here, the Foreign Relations Committee report said. The post needs people with language skills and experience that are already hard to find. Americans can't bring their families here, and the kidnappings and violence relegate Americans to the embassy complex. The current embassy staff, about 1,000 Americans, lives in makeshift trailers in the Green Zone and works out of temporary quarters at the Republican Palace, which Saddam Hussein built to honor himself..."

[JPZenger]

25. Questionable Treatment of Asian Labor for Embassy Construction

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/5/16/92339/6430

[cyberpj]

26. Is Our Baghdad Embassy being built with SLAVE LABOR?

Thanks for posting this part of the story. I hope we can put a lot more info out there about this atrocity.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/5/16/92339/6430

In fact, I think I'll start another thread on this just to bring it more attention.

[Javaman]

27. Some call it an embassy, I call it the middle east pentagon. nt