There's been constant grousing that the gigantic, $750 million U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is way too big and expensive, even though it came in at scarcely more than 20 percent over budget (and nearly a year late). But critics, who acknowledge it's a whole lot safer than those tin cans our diplomats sleep in as the rockets and mortars rain down on the old embassy, are completely missing the boat. The money is not an expenditure. Think of it as an investment. Should things calm down in Baghdad, and Washington -- or a truly democratic Iraqi government -- decides a smaller, more normal embassy would do, they'd be sitting on a gold mine any hotel resort chain would snap up for huge bucks. Washington Post reporter Al Kamen served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tunisia.
Al Kamen writes: The Baghdad Embassy, a W Hotel
The Baghdad Embassy, a W Hotel
By Al Kamen
Wednesday, April 23, 2008; Page A19
[Excerpt]
There's been constant grousing that the gigantic, $750 million U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is way too big and expensive, even though it came in at scarcely more than 20 percent over budget (and nearly a year late).
But critics, who acknowledge it's a whole lot safer than those tin cans our diplomats sleep in as the rockets and mortars rain down on the old embassy, are completely missing the boat.
The money is not an expenditure. Think of it as an investment. Should things calm down in Baghdad, and Washington -- or a truly democratic Iraqi government -- decides a smaller, more normal embassy would do, they'd be sitting on a gold mine any hotel resort chain would snap up for huge bucks.
We're talking a heavily guarded, gated expanse of 27 buildings on 104 acres -- about the size of the Vatican, or two-thirds the size of the Mall -- with a wonderful river view on the historic Euphrates, according to the contractor's press release. The complex boasts 619 lovely -- if a tad small -- blast-resistant apartments, office buildings, restaurants, indoor and outdoor basketball courts, a volleyball court and an Olympic-size indoor pool.
And if, just by chance, things later go south in terms of security, prospective buyers would be assured by other features of this self-contained city within a city: its own water supply, power plant and waste-treatment facility.
In addition to all that, there's the lore of the construction itself. The supply routes were closed "due to war" for 232 days about one third of the time it took to build the project, according to the main contractor. The site "was under direct enemy fire" for 12 days, and there were 14 "trucks lost."
The contractor explained that these were not trucks that missed a confusing road sign in Najaf but were "lost due to violence."
Hey, maybe the embassy could ask for bids in euros?
