As reconstruction of Iraq’s infrastructure lags ever farther behind schedule, the one project that’s on track is a gargantuan new U.S embassy rising along the Tigris River in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone.
What kind of message will the huge fortress-like complex send to Iraqis, who have yet to see basic utility service and petroleum output return to pre-war levels?
One message seems to be that the U.S. intends to keep a strong presence in Iraq for a long time to come.
The State Department isn’t giving out many details about the new embassy, but department spokesman Justin Higgins did say it’s a sign of the work facing the United States in Iraq.
“It’s somewhat self-evident that there’s going to be a fairly sizable commitment to Iraq by the U.S. government in all forms for several years,” he said.
The new Baghdad embassy will dwarf all other U.S. diplomatic missions. Most embassies cover an area of about 10 acres, but the Baghdad installation will sprawl over 104, an area larger than Vatican City. The size of the complex and its location may only reinforce the perception on the Arab street that despite claims of building democracy, the U.S. is an occupier, not a liberator.
The complex will consist of 21 buildings, including residences for the ambassador and deputy, apartment buildings for staff, office buildings, swimming pool and gym, commissary, and food court. The complex will have its own electric power plant, water wells and wastewater treatment facility. It will be self-sufficient and heavily fortified.
The Associated Press reported that construction of the complex is more than one- third done, with completion set for June 2007.
More than three years after the invasion and billions spent on power plants and substations, electricity still remains below pre- war levels, with Baghdad getting power only a few hours daily. Only 32 percent of the people can get clean drinking water versus 50 percent pre-invasion; 19 percent of the population has working sewer connections, compared with 24 percent before. Oil production is stuck at 2.05 million barrels a day and can’t seem to reach the 2.5 million- barrel-a-day target set by the U.S.
And American commitment to rebuilding Iraq seems to be flagging. After three years of spending more than $20 billion on reconstruction, the U.S. government’s request for fiscal 2006 was only $1.6 billion.
But the cost of the new embassy is estimated at somewhere between $592 million and more than $1 billion.
