Taylor Marsh – TaylorMarsh.com – News, Opinion and Weblog on Progressive Politics

Ever been to the Vatican? That’s how big our embassy in Baghdad is going to be. It’s supposedly on a 104 acres and will house 1,000 people. Well, the price tag just went up and get this, they can’t even give an opening date
because construction is so screwed up.

The massive U.S. embassy under construction in Baghdad could cost $144 million more than projected and will open months behind schedule because of poor planning, shoddy workmanship, internal disputes and last-minute changes sought by State Department officials, according to U.S. officials and a department document provided to Congress. The embassy, which will be the largest U.S. diplomatic mission in the world, was budgeted at $592 million. The core project was supposed to have been completed by last month, but the timetable has slipped so much that the State Department has sought and received permission from the Iraqi government to allow about 2,000 non-Iraqi construction employees to stay in the country until March. Two key office buildings, including the new chancery, will not be finished until early 2009, according to the document. … .. Iraq Embassy Cost Rises $144 Million Amid Project Delays

Got the picture now? Getting the full idea of our long-term agenda in Iraq? Thinking harder about what the new Democratic president in ‘09 will inherit? Not pretty, is it.