Largest US Embassy slated for Baghdad.

[MikeG]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040609/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_iraq_1

By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON - The State Department is planning to have more than 900 Americans staff the U.S. Embassy in central Baghdad, assisted by 600 to 700 Iraqis in the biggest American embassy in the world, department planners said Wednesday

A former palace of deposed President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) will serve as the new embassy until a site is chosen in the capital as a replacement for the embassy seized by Iraq (news - web sites) in 1970, said Francis J. Ricciardone, the department's coordinator for Iraqi transition
***

Building the embassy will take at least two years and the State Department intends to pay close attention to what Iraqi officials have to say about a site, Ricciardone said.

***

About half of the 900 U.S. officials assigned to Baghdad will be at their desks as Iraqi sovereignty is officially restored by June 30. Some of them will be drawn from the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority, which goes out of business during the transition from U.S. occupation.

[jpgray]

1. Many permanent bases will be there as well

Something zero media pundits are commenting on at the moment--it punctures the 'transfer' nonsense, so of course it is that which cannot be commented on at the moment. Remember last year? It was the IAEA's consistent debunking of Bush admin claims regarding nuclear capability, now there's a new game in town for the media to studiously ignore.

[David Dunham]

2. This embassy will be terrorist target no. 1.

[displacedtexan]

4. Yep. Bull's Eye time!

How totally stupid are we (as an entire population)? The people who voted for the freaks who approved this should get the fucking bill for it!

[Sindawe]

12. <Beating head against brick wall>

Oh this makes ALOT of sense. Gee, lets put our embassy in one of the palaces of the deposed Tyrant of Iraq. I'm sure the Iraqis will never confuse US with that cruel despot we deposed. OH NO! That would NEVER happen.

[Aidoneus]

5. "terrorist"?!

[Racenut20]

3. Betcha A Buck it gets bombed before Christmas

It will probably have 10k troops guarding it until November.

[KamaAina]

6. Negroponte will be the U.S. ambassador??!!

Ricciardone said a number of U.S. ambassadors now serving in other countries would be assigned to work under John Negroponte, who will become the U.S. ambassador to Iraq after diplomatic relations are formally restored, probably in July.

Are we still bothering with quaint, constitutionally required formalities like Senate confirmation hearings for ambassadors, or did they manage to sidestep that by appointing him to the ambassador-like position with the present puppet government??

Meanwhile, do we have "diplomatic offices" (not "consulates") in any other country? New Texas, er, I mean Iraq will have four!

The embassy will be supplemented by U.S. diplomatic offices in four regions of Iraq, he said.

Any idea what that's about?

Edit: "by" appointing him, not "ny". I hate that murdering slimeball so bad I can't type straight! :grr:

[Ediacara]

8. I beleive he did go through Senate confirmation..

And was confirmed by something like a 95-5 after major concessions were given (which have slipped my mind).

[MikeG]

7. I didn't mention it earlier but these people are tone deaf.

[struggle4progress]

9. kick

:kick:

[PartyPooper]

10. All I can do at this point, is roll my eyes!

:eyes:

[lebkuchen]

11. Apply to receive the Foreign Service Exam application here

knowing that, should you pass the test and be selected, you don't get to choose where you go. Powell mentioned the high number of applicants to the Foreign Service in one of his speeches to sanctify the US mission overseas. I think he was blowing hot air. Applicant numbers are likely dropping off just as are military enlistments.

http://www.careers.state.gov/officer/register.html