U.S. Opens New Embassy in Baghdad
By WorthyNews Staff
BAGHDAD, IRAQ (Worthy News) — Amid tight security, the United States embassy in Iraq’s capital Baghdad was open for business Tuesday, January 6, after a dedication ceremony to open what is the largest embassy compound in the world.
The new embassy, 10 times larger than any other U.S. diplomatic mission abroad, sits on 104 acres (42-hectare) within Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone. At a cost of more than $600 million, it will house more than 1,000 employees.
The embassy opening comes just days after the U.S. military ceded control of Baghdad’s Green Zone on New Year’s Day. The highly fortified zone encompasses four square miles (over ten square kilometers) in the center of Baghdad, housing the Iraqi parliament, the newly opened U.S. Embassy, and other key government facilities.
SECURITY CONCERNS
The opening of the embassy comes amid concerns about the potential security vacuum that may have been created when the U.S. ceded military control of the Green Zone.
U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker told the British Broadcasting Corporation however that he believes this “necessary transition does not open up any vulnerabilities.” He admitted however “We will continue to manage this in a careful, organized fashion that has the Iraqis firmly in charge, but in charge of a very firm security situation.”
Last November, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshar Zebari expressed concern about security troubles when addressing a group of Assyrian Christians. He said, “We must not create a vacuum – it will be exploited including a timetable. In December there will be a new government. It needs time to organize itself.”