Massive embassy in Iraq?

Did you know that we are supposedly building the largest embassy in the world in Iraq? I did not know this. Some information from the two articles.

Roughly the size of the Vatican.
Congress appropriated $592 billion. Some say it may cost over a billion.
104 acres. Six times larger than the UN compound in New York. Most embassies are only 10 acres.


ABC News: U.S. Building Its Largest Embassy in Iraq
In the chaos of Iraq, one project is on target: a giant US embassy-News-World-Iraq-TimesOnline

The second article is cool. It talks about Iraqis watching the construction. Wondering where the US gets the money to build it. Yet they can't keep the lights on in their city. Also, like many things in Iraq. It is being built by a foreign contractor instead of out of work Iraqis.

 

Yes, the U.S. is building the world's largest embassy there. The locals call it Bush's Palace:

"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."

Rest of article at:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article712424.ece

 

What are your thoughts about Bush's Palace?

 

It's a complete and total waste of money. The taxpayers of this country have been shafted once again. It's all ego and megalomania. And it's proof positive that the U.S. is not going to permanently leave Iraq.

 

I'm just confused as to what the purpose of this thing is supposed to be. I mean is this the result of some American inferiority complex, we think "oh well maybe if we just build this really big embassy everyone will remember us in a better way....and think we have really big packages."

It just makes no logical sense. I mean jesus, we say we come as liberators and here we are going to end up with a giant fortress in the center of the city. I have no idea what our administration is thinking anymore.

 

I think its swell

 

I'm hoping typo.

 

Iran wins so big in this war that I swear to god that Dick Cheney's DNA should be checked out by a reputable lab, because he has to be a Persian mole.

 

Um...what does that have to do with the topic?

 

Sue me.

 

Google Earth Directions

33°17'29.98"N Latitude, 44°22'35.26"E Longitude.

Not much development in the current shot, but you can definitely tell they leveled a few neighborhoods for this one.

 

Hmmm

Who, the terrorists or the contractors? ha ha

 

There's a difference these days?

 

I briefly heard somebody mumble that it was a ministry - i think something along the lines of ministry of love, ministry of truth, ministry of peace, or ministry of plenty

 

Looks like the people building the embassy have been tracked down. Not only do they have a website, but they have the design plans for the place online:

http://bergerdevineyaeger.com/planning/usembassy.html#


Nice pool!