From The Christian Science Monitor:

Baghdad – Just inside the gateway of the new United States Embassy in Baghdad, a US Army lieutenant colonel acted as the diplomatic equivalent of a Wal-Mart greeter, welcoming guests Monday afternoon to the dedication ceremony for the largest – and most expensive – American mission in the world.

But even if visitors missed the significance of such a high-ranking doorman, more than 300 feet of red carpet and several hundred Iraqi, American, and other international guests hammered home just how significant this ribbon-cutting ceremony is to the long-term American vision for Iraq.

The $592 million, 104-acre compound that will house at least 1,200 US government employees from 14 federal agencies is brick-and-mortar proof of the value American politicians place on their relationship with this Middle Eastern nation still in the throes of war.

An “embassy compound” might sound uninviting, especially considering that the US Embassy just moved to its new location from Saddam Hussein’s Republican Palace. But the design is anything but. It’s made up of beige buildings constructed of stone and draped with giant sunscreens, giving it the appearance of a college campus in the American southwest rather than making it feel like a military installation.

Well, in a time when our economy is collapsing, it’s good to see that we’re sticking with the roughly half decade long trend of spending fuck-tons of money in Iraq.  $592 Million.  Well, that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  But hey, good for the Government and People of Iraq, I’m glad we’re showing our overwhelming commitment to their country.  Really, really happy about that.  Ah well, at least it’s another step in us handing over the country, so I guess that’s good.  Still though.  $592 Million?!?

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