White House Blocks Inquiry into Construction of $736m Embassy in Iraq
WASHINGTON – The Bush administration is blocking an inquiry into the delay-plagued construction of the $736m US embassy in Baghdad, a senior Democrat in Congress said today. 
Henry Waxman, who is chairman of the oversight committee in the House of Representatives, asked US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice today to explain why her department certified the embassy as “substantially completed” in December despite inspections that reveal continued deficiencies in the facility’s water, fire alarm and kitchen systems.
The Baghdad embassy, which stands to become the largest US diplomatic facility in the world, had an original opening date of mid-2007. But the project stalled amid ballooning cost estimates as well as charges of corruption and shoddy work by the private contracting company overseeing the project.
In addition, two US state department employees who worked on the embassy project are now under criminal investigation. Waxman urged Rice to release subpoenaed documents related to the Baghdad embassy project next week or risk being forced to do so.
“It appears that the state department is concealing from Congress basic information about the status of the embassy project and the activities of the individuals and contractors involved,” Waxman wrote to Rice. “This continued intransigence is inappropriate.”
The private construction company, First Kuwaiti General Trading & Contracting, declined repeatedly to provide safety inspectors with reports on fire protection systems at the embassy, according to reports released by Waxman. First Kuwaiti, based in Kuwait, remains the target of a separate US criminal probe into allegations of labour trafficking.
The state department has not yet received Waxman’s letter but plans to address the Democrat’s concerns by his March 7 deadline, spokesman Tom Casey told reporters today.
Casey defended the delay in construction of the embassy, asserting that the building would not be occupied until its fitness for use could be certified.
“[W]e certainly have no intention of taking occupancy or establishing occupancy in a facility that doesn’t fully meet all our standards,” Casey said. He reminded reporters that First Kuwaiti is required under its contract to bear the cost of any needed additional work.
The new director of building operations at the state department has ordered a review of the embassy project and may revoke the building’s “substantially completed” certification, McClatchy news service reported this week.
© guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2008
An Embassy fitting a “one hundred year occupation” -John McCain
“The site has 21 structures, 104-acre complex — the size of about 80 football fields.
Six staff apartment buildings: Each has one bedroom apartments.”
“The current U.S. Embassy in Iraq has nearly 1,000 Americans working there, more than at any other U.S. embassy”
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2006-04-19-us-embassy_x.htm
Gee, the US Embassy is Ottawa, Canada . . . the US’s “number one” trading partner, is only a one building, one city block structure . . . .
At this point, after all this time, I’m finding it very hard to understand why Congress still pretends to expect cooperation or compliance with the laws from any part of the Shrub dictatorship. It seems it would be simpler just to go straight to the impeachment hearings; nothing less will matter (and I have my doubts whether the Decider would pay attention to that even.)
Welcome to the wonderful world of the “spoils system” in action. This another part of the Dubya, Cheney, & Co. plan to to execute a “Great Lurch Backwards” and return the USA to the Robber Baron era. Part in parcel of this calls for political cronies to be given jobs and contracts on the basis of party loyalty, not competence (this despite the Civil Service Act still being in force), & all the “boys” get rich off the government tit.
Contrast this with other news and occupation pictures and feel the bile that comes up into your mouth as we watch what we have done,are doing and will continue to do to this country;a country that had nothing to do with 9/11.We are what we do.Tony
“Gee, the US Embassy is Ottawa, Canada . . . the US’s “number one” trading partner, is only a one building, one city block structure . . . .”
That’s because the USofA already owns Canada and its right wing politicians. They could move to a one room office and it wouldn’t make a difference.
Anything the dems try to do, Bush refuses to comply, or vetoes. So they get tough and try to force them to comply, and go all the way to the supreme court. What happens? We all know the answer to that. Rove refused a subpoena recently, and he isn’t even a member of the government. We’d go straight to jail if we did that, but he knows he can get away with it, no matter what.
Disgusting! Wrong! What fraud and folly!
Just call it a simple Billion Dollars!
The Dems brought this on themselves. They voted to approve these criminals Bush is hiding behind (Mukasey, Roberts and Alito).
kathyodat
You’re so right, kathyodat. Unfortunately, they also brought it on us. I just hope, if there is an election this year, that if McCain gets in, we can at least have a huge majority in both houses of congress, and some fresh young blood to boot.
You got that right, endCapitalism. No other country on the planet — except Israel — has more of itself for sale on the New York stock exchange. The Canadian federal government’s primary job is to cultivate the myth that Canada is still somehow a sovereign nation. With Anschluss on the horizon we should slide into first place very soon.
THEY HAD TO MAKE SURE THE NEW EMBASSY WAS LARGE ENOUGH TO HOLD THE ENTIRE US MILITARY ON THE ROOFS FOR POSSIBLE EVACUATION.
i wonder too if there will be an inquiry into the poor labourers from various countries who were taken there to work, thinking they were going to the gulf arab states, or other m.e. countries? they had their passports taken away from them and were not allowed to leave.
Let’s all hope Bush retires here. The $ 736 Million would be worth it!
Great comment ~Jim Glover~ LOL.
The embassy complex would be a wonderful medical school and college campus for the Iraqis, after we pulled every single American out of Iraq and disbanded and arrested the Blackwater mercenaries who are guilty of mayhem and murder.
Of course we should hire an honest corporation to complete it first and insure the plumbing works as planned. Then finish the criminal investigation of Halliburton. Maybe our new president will insure that is done. ___HAhahhahahaha, whoop, hahahahaaaaa. ___Perhaps the Arabian ~bin Laden Construction Company~ would be appropriate to fix everything there before we leave.____ Shit. In our dreams.
Well, what do we expect ? We need the new U.S. military Vatican in Baghdad as a base to proselytize (read: bribe and ride herd) in the various Middle East dictatorships.
It looks more like a country club where the super-wealthy would gather to discuss the future of money in a globalized world.
I hope they cut the concrete with so much sand that the first earthquake brings it all down like a house of cards.
They probably did JJPeter. Crooked bastards.
This structure was shrouded in secrecy in the early days; now we all behave as if it was always there. Has anyone been wondering how and when we purchased the land for this and from who? If anyone has any “fly on the wall” info, please pass along.
It just doesn’t seem likely that large, agreeable, land purchases of prime Iraqi riverfront property would be the norm in the early part of this decade, does it? This never really was a “war”, correct? The deception is more complex, yes?
I want to hear, loud and clear that the two Dems. are going to abandon this NeoCon Folly!
A computer generated architectual rendering? I thought the CIA did all our rendering.
Perhaps they mean a ‘virtual’ embassy.
Staffed with ‘virtual’ diplomats.
Paid for with ‘virtual’ money.
In service to ‘virtual’ (corporate) citizens.
Heck of a job, Ricey. No one could have ever predicted that this administration would lie, cheat, steal, hire unqualified contractors, or avoid all laws and oversight during the construction of the new US Global Empire Capital Headquarters.
Let’s blame the few bad apples on the concrete crew and move on already - have ya seen the plans for New Tehran yet?
History will not absolve the legacy left behind by the u.s. empire.
Never.
Maybe this is what they promise the kids if they sign up for military service. Only way down in the
fine print does it say that the picture was used for promotional purposes only.
Looks kinda like one of Saddam’s palace grounds. Does that make America and it’s fearless leader the evil dictators of that new frontier.
Worked so well here (when we took the land from the native Americans and built the conglomerate of shit we now have on it) that I guess it’s a pattern plan
If the Iraqi’s didn’t absolutely hate us before the invasion, lord knows they do now!! Liberation at it’s best; love American style!
“When U.S. troops invaded Iraq in March 2003, the Bush administration predicted that the war would be self-financing, and rebuilding the nation would cost less than $2 billion.”
So the Corporate Warring Class has spent half of the total projected rebuilding cost on their Imperial Fortress of Plunder and Intimination - where’s our remaining tax dollars to be spent?
When do we nationalize the corporations and sell their children to cover the Three Trillion Dollar overrun plus the retiree’s savings eaten by inflation?
Does anyone remember the scene in “The Money Pit” where Tom Hanks is going to fix Thanksgiving dinner? And he turns on the oven? And all the wiring incinerates the kitchen and ejects the turkey into the neighbors swimming pool?
This embassey is just like that movie. I watched the hearing where Waxman was trying to figure out what the hell was going on. It was amazing. Also watched Waxman’s hearing with Rice testifying (?) about the cost over runs and the incompetent contractors. She is one slick customer.
There is no end to this mess until we get the hell out of there! And the State Department should leave before the troops do. NOW! This would kill two birds with one stone: Since the State Department hires all the Blackwater thugs to protect them there, Blackwater would be out of job.
Just turn this monstrosity over to the Iraqi government for THEIR offices and let them ride herd on First Kuwaite to finish the contract per spec on Kuwaite’s dime.
What a collosal monument to failure. Its like the gated repig country club communitys here. Build with cheap latin labor, stuffed with appliances made in China, and furniture made in Thailand, heated and cooled (all 5,000 sq. feet of it) with polluting coal fired electrical plants up the river, so two white people in their 70’s can have their equally self absorbed friends over for cocktails.
Nothing like American conservative values on display before the shell shocked and starving inhabitants just outside of the electric gates.
The American people have been lied to cynically by the Bush administration from the beginning on Iraq. The intention has always been to have a permanent presence in Iraq. Bush and Cheney and their neocon friends always intended Iraq to be the main US outpost in the Middle East. It is strategically located in the very middle of things, and the fourteen permanent bases we have built at great expense were always intended to be used to exercise maximum influence in the Persian Gulf area. Of course the main reason is oil. In its secret deliberations the participants of the Cheney energy task force at the very beginning of the administration was well aware of the peak oil problem and the approach of a serious crisis, so they planned to occupy Iraq as a way of being able to control the petroleum reserves not only of Iraq but of the entire region. Iran has proven to be the greatest problem for the neocons–hence their strong desire to overthrow the mullah regime there.
Another big poke in the eye for the american taxpayer.
What is wrong with you people? Canada IS a sovereign nation and proved it by refusing to go to Iraq. Canada is an ally, white, and a neighbor. One little caretaker government on the conservative side and everyone loses perspective. Canada has stood up to the US before. This idea that the US controls Canada is foolish. As for Canadian right wingers, they are equivalent to US democrats. What nonsense!
Jim Glover, Funny! Wasn’t there the ‘great rooftop escape’ in Saigon, 1975?
jjpeter, Two good posts. Stranger things can happen.
So back to the headline of this article. ‘White House Blocks Inquiry into Construction of $736m Embassy in Iraq’
What do you call a government that refuses to represent the overwhelming majority of the nation and refuses answering questions by other members of the same government pertaining to legitiment issues, and a government guilty of treason against the citizens of the United States and who also initiated a war of aggression in violation of International Law? Some may say taxation without representation, and others may say the Republican Crime Family is in charge (with much appreciated help from many Democrats) and what do you say?
I seem to recall, that prior to 2003, we didn’t have an embassy in Iraq. Oil was selling for far less than $40 a barrel, we didn’t owe China five trillion dollars, we had a nice nest egg in our National budget, we weren’t fighting an illegal war with a foreign country who was no threat to us whatsoever and our Army, Marines and National guard were in good shape and half weren’t suffering from radiation poisoning and PTSD.
Now McCain says all of that is good and Bush says it has also been good for our economy. The reason we are having a slowdown there, he says, is because we built too many houses. Honest to God, they are all nuttier than a squirell’s nest in September. Will Obama or Hillary, if elected, shut down the Embassy in Iraq? Hahaaaa haaahaaaaahaaha whooooooppp, ha hahaaaheeeeehaWhoooppp, Haaha haaaaa. Please don’t ask that. My side hurts now.
I wonder how long it will be before the “insurgents” will start using this monument to the failed Bush presidency as target practice. We need to tear it down AND impeach Bush and Cheney. Get them under oath, before congress and being held accountable. While we’re at it, maybe we can find Viceroy Bremmer and ask about the $8 billion he “lost”…
Oooohhh… so this is where all the money is going. That, and the indoor ski slope.
The Democrats have a tough sales job ahead of them. Certainly they won’t change any of this, any more than they’d impeach, genuinely investigate anything, etc. Obama’s job will be to justify what’s already a done deal, no doubt.
Hey lizard, Yes Canada didn’t go to Iraq, the went to Afghanistan to free up U.S. troops to go to Iraq. You Canadians hate to be painted with the same brush as the U.S. but when GWB says jump, it may not be obvious but Ottawa whispers “how high”.
Do squirrel’s nests actually get nuttier in September or is the nuttierness the same all year around? And are the nuts the edible type like almonds, walnuts, etc. or are we refering to the human nuts in Wash. D.C.? I think the squirrels are absolved from our crimes against humanity in Iraq.
Seriously, I went to a fundraiser for Iraqi Veterans Against The War a few nights ago and they received a good deal of support from us civilians.
Paul,
You summed it up well. Obama will be the new ‘yes man’ for the ruling elite, only with charisma and style in reassuring us all is fine. I hope we’re wrong on this one.
Why shouldn’t the White House step on the Democrats? They have been doing it for years with fabulous results. Why stop now?
That indoor ski slope is incredible. Right in the Arab’s desert. It’s a monstrous buildng, bigger than two dozen, connected blimp hangers and inside you’re at Lake Placid in January. It has ski lifts and a big lodge with squirelly dancing girls etc. One could get their nuts off year round there.
I don’t think Halliburton built it. But wonder if our money may have.
Yeah ~Peaceman~, the nuts ripen and fall in September, and the rodents stash them then. We didn’t have any this year, the bees didn’t come to pollinate the looping walnut’s flowers. Our place has thousands of walnut trees. It’s a staple for the deer, black bears, javalina, fox and of course squirrels and Mexican jays. Lots of skinny and sick looking deer this year. No fox or javalina at all. ___ Now that’s off the subject. Hit me in the face.
I’m afraid Obama, will be a very well spoken loser. Of course he has to be nominated, to run against the “good ol boy”, McCain. We’ll see. I’ve never seen or heard, a better orator than Obama. What’s that saying? __Oh yeah, “talk is cheap”. Of course his talking has been several million spent so far.
McCain honestly believes, the war with Iraq has been good for the economy. ___ NUTS!!!
KEM PATRICK
i think you’d better get in that canoe and start paddling brother…….(with or without your wife…..)
The White house needs a good, swift, kick in the pants. That would straighten out a lot of what “ails” the White House.
People need to remove the “white gloves” for this crew. Grabbin em’ by the scruff of the neck and bootin’ em’ in the arse would work wonders.
Clear evidence of why the republicans will easily win the upcoming election. They own the government, and will for many years to come.
This is a prime example of the reason why free market economics cannot work within a strong Democratic Republic such as ours.
Immediately after the invasion in April 2003, L. Paul Bremer was sent to Iraq to establish a free market economy, removing all government oversight on everthing including construction codes.
When there is no oversight on construction, then you can expect shoddy work and the use of cheap materials increasing the contractor’s bottom line. The White House is so anxious to make the free market work in Iraq that they don’t care how much money they waste.
As long as the government in Iraq remains ineffectual, and has no oversight, then abuses will naturally happen. It is corporate greed that drives that train.
If we are not very careful, and we do not insist on government agencies to keep us safe, then we will become Iraq.
KEM, The lack of bees coming to pollinate scares me more than the boggeyman fear-mongering of this administration. You guys are fortunate to have so many walnut trees. After almonds (which rely 100% on bee polination) walnuts are the next in nutritional value in the nut species. Newspapers and magazine articles were full of stories about disappearing bee colonies last year. I really feel sorry for the deer and the other animals. They’re trying to survive as well.
Off subject but the story below this one which was right above the one about the Quaker schoolteacher…the one about the Iraq Veterans Against The War…it seems to have been deleted. It had a photo of three GI’s in camouflaged fatigues. Wonder what happened?
That happens every weekend ~Peaceman~. Some articles disappear for a day or two. It will probably show up Monday in the archives (at the end of this column is the word “MORE”, click there and prior articles will be there in the archives.) I see several of CoCo’s blogs have been deleted from this thread and some of mine. ‘Perhaps’ the weekend CD editors are very active and somewhat critical of nonsense, or fun posts.
KEM, Thanks for the info. I clicked on “MORE” but it wasn’t there yet. I’ll wait a few days. I like CoCo’s one liners. And yours as well. Man do we need a little humor. I just read the article about the farmer, Jack Hedin, ‘My Forbidden Fruits (and Vegetables) and my gastric juices are churning. Our country has changed for the worse, KEM. I’m so ashamed. Progressive ideas and legislation ceased after FDR, resuming with LBJ (except for Vietnam) and came to a halt again. We were given a few “tidbit” to keep us happy up to 2001. Everything is about MONEY. I feel sorry for our young ones. Do you ever look at ‘The Onion’?
Time to go for a long walk in Mother Nature’s wonderful creation. Later.
PAX
“Labor trafficking” is the new term for slave labor, huh? Duly noted.
thye havn’t finished painting the giant targets on the roof and walls yet.
KEM PATRICK
what? me? deleted? oh well, better than being tortured…………(unless you’re a masochist)
PEACEMAN
don’t you mean ‘a walk in mother nature’s wonderful evolution’?…………
pax
Evolution?? Mother Nature don’t throw empty beer cans along the walkways, or floating plastic from McDonalds and KFC into the ponds. That’s evolution here in America.
I found the “deleted” coments on another thread COCO. I was wrong about that. Hey, don’t send a canoe. I have a nice sea going fishing and crabbing boat, just have to figure out how to rig a sail to it. It’s been docked ashore for two years, am waiting for the Anarctic ice to melt. ___ Won’t be long.
What has really puzzled me is why most people I have tried to talk to about this gigantic embassy haven’t heard anything about it. Why isn’t there more coverage about it? Looks like the good ol USA plans on staying there forever…
Coco,
Doesn’t “creation” “evolve?” Probably better to have said, I’m going out for a stroll. Maybe the term “Mother Nature” is archaic, like the term “checks and balances.”
How’s the weather in your neck of the woods, Coco?
It’s classified ~Southern~ Any boondoggle is classified.
I stroll everyday, twice a day Peaceman, and enjoy every minute of it. Bet you do too. Enjoy it while we can.
I sure do. Nothing beats a casual stroll. Good for the spirit and the heart and reflective thought. Plus, you discover things you didn’t know existed when you travel by foot.
Have a fine day, KEM
SO YOU LIKE HUMOR?
SO WE CAN ALL GET A LAUGH, JUST TELL US IN 1000 WORDS OR LESS, HOW A CANDIDATE FOR PREZ THAT AGREES WITH ALL THE DEM HATERS HERE CAN GET ELECTED AND SAVE DEMOCRACY?
The catch is you got to believe in the “get elected” part.
anytime your ready, I am all ears.
Our democrat, dog catcher, could beat McCain, and his name is Dork Dipshat, “Double D” we all call him. The democrats and independants combined, will far out vote the Republicans this time around and would vote for anyone over McCain.
About 40 words there, with a touch of humor. Howz dat ~All Ears~? Didn’t know Ross Perot blogged here too.