Insurgentjg

Right amongst the people deprived of basic necessities and under life threatening situations, construction of a huge embassy is a reality which still puzzles and enrages Iraqi nation that how is it that the Americans can manage to build the biggest embassy but cannot keep the electricity running in Baghdad for more than a few hours a day.
United States embassy is the first major construction project in Iraq. Its edifice is as large as the Vatican with an ambassador’s residence of 16,000 square feet and is designed to have its own water and power supply. This is highly unusual construction and facility in a country like Iraq where only 32% of the population has access to potable water and many residents have electricity only for four hours a day.
In July 2007, Major Gen. Charles Williams (Ret.), the Director of Overseas Building Operation (OBO) at the State Department before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, stated that the project is on schedule and that the embassy personnel will begin shifting in shortly and that OBO is proud of the project quality. This year is nearly ending and no one is certain when anyone will move in and it is $144 million over budget.
Local residents call this massive US Embassy “George W’s Palace” rising from banks of Tigris. Irritation rises when people deprived of air conditioning and potable water after the US-led invasion, watch the massive construction that is bigger than anything Saddam Hussein built. Common people are not impressed by the structure and architecture which is claimed to be visible from space. They are more interested in knowing that the US has paid for the place or simply took it. Local residents are also apprehensive about the fact that the Kuwaiti contractor has only hired foreign staff for construction when people suffer from mass poverty and hunger.
The question over here is that what should be the priority in allocating budgets? Does the heavily guarded 42-hectare (104-acre) site — which will have a 15ft thick perimeter wall — impressive residences for the Ambassador and his deputy, six apartments for senior officials, and two huge office blocks for 8,000 staff to work in, is major priority or re-settling the refugees is of more importance. Question is either to build a biggest swimming pool in Iraq, a state-of-the-art gymnasium, a cinema, restaurants offering delicacies from favourite US food chains, tennis courts and a swish American Club for evening functions[1] or to provide safe drinking water & sanitation system and rebuild schools and hospitals. Priority should be given to build a secure environment where children can go to school without a threat of being killed or should a multi million green zone, the fortified and sealed-off compound be built where international diplomats and Iraq’s leaders can live and work in utmost safety.

[1] Christopher Brauchli, Iraq’s Gilded palaces,www.counterpunch.com