At new U.S. Embassy in Iraq, even kitchens are fire hazards

[Barrett808]

Source: McClatchy Newspapers

At new U.S. Embassy in Iraq, even kitchens are fire hazards
By Warren P. Strobel

WASHINGTON — None of the 26 buildings in the new $740 million U.S. Embassy complex in Baghdad is ready to be occupied. Fire alarms intended to safeguard more than 1,000 U.S. government employees aren't working. Kitchens in some of the buildings are fire hazards.

A senior State Department official in December certified that embassy construction was "substantially complete," but department inspectors found "major deficiencies" at the unoccupied embassy, according to their inspection report, which Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., released Friday.

McClatchy reported earlier this week that the new chief of the State Department's embassy-building arm, Richard Shinnick, has voided the Dec. 16 certification — made under his predecessor, retired Army Gen. Charles Williams — that the embassy is nearly ready to be occupied.

In a blistering letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Waxman, who chairs the House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee, accused the State Department of withholding documents about the troubled project.

"It appears that the State Department is concealing from Congress basic information about the status of the embassy project and the activities of officials and contractors involved. This continued intransigence is inappropriate," wrote Waxman, who threatened to haul Rice's deputy before his panel.

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/iraq/story/29070.html

[tanyev]

1. Good Lord. These people could screw up a peanut butter sandwich.

:grr:

[NanceGreggs]

2. Well, as they say ...

... you get what you pay for.

If you're only willing to spend a mere $740 million, you've got to expect that corners will be cut, and inferior work will result.

:sarcasm:

I would LOVE to see this particular can of worms opened ...

[Frisbee]

5. I would LOVE to see this particular can of worms opened ...

Follow the money and I'm willing to bet that some well connected (to Bushco) people got very wealthy off of this project.

[NanceGreggs]

6. That is exactly why I'd love to see it opened ...

I don't think there can be any doubt of that at this point - let's see WHO got the money, HOW MUCH, and how they're connected to BushCo.

[defendandprotect]

3. THIS is corporate fascism -- unregulated capitalism -- set free and wild -- it's criminal!!

[InkAddict]

7. There's a one-day season on the viral beasts in November,

unfortunately, the "domesticated" ones also can't be trusted not to bite the hands that feed them.

Arm yourselves with something more substantial than "truth" because they're no longer waiting for the bowl and have gone right to ripping their feed straight out of the bag on the shelf.

[JohnyCanuck]

4. One of the prime contractors for this embassy construction

was apparently the Kuwaiti based outfit First Kuwaiti

Here is what it says on their web site at http://www.firstkuwaiti.com/services/index.php

Prime Contractor for the US Department of State, pre-qualified for the design and construction of the US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq.

Now check this out, apparently its no skin off their bones if they screwed up delivering the goods on time, on budget and in working order.

Waxman also disclosed that because the embassy was prematurely declared ready, First Kuwaiti is being paid another $4.5 million under a new contract to maintain it.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/iraq/story/29070.html

Looks like they delivered a turd and now they get paid to keep it polished and shiny.

[knitter4democracy]

8. This is worse than the new embassy in Moscow was in the 80s.

That thing was bugged and messed up every which way, but at least it couldn't be burned down by the kitchen. Sheesh!