$1 Billion Makeover of U.S. Diplomatic Missions in Af-Pak

Remember the former president Bush? Remember his extravagant fortress called the U.S. embassy in Baghdad?

We will have another one or two, in case you missed the news. This time in Af-Pak.

US to spend $1 billion on embassy expansions in Pakistan, Afghanistan (5/28/09 Christian Science Monitor)

"The US is embarking on a $1 billion crash program to expand its diplomatic presence in Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan, another sign that the Obama administration is making a costly, long-term commitment to war-torn South Asia, US officials said Wednesday.

"The White House has asked Congress for – and seems likely to receive – $736 million to build a new US embassy in Islamabad, along with permanent housing for US government civilians and new office space in the Pakistani capital.

"The scale of the projects rivals the giant US Embassy in Baghdad, which was completed last year after construction delays at a cost of $740 million."

In addition, in Peshawar the U.S. government is negotiating to buy up a 5-star hotel to serve as the consulate.

"In Kabul, the US government is negotiating an $87 million purchase of a 30- to 40-acre parcel of land to expand the embassy. The Senate version of the appropriations bill omits all but $10 million of those funds."

You may also recall that President Obama recently appointed Lt. General McChrystal as new Afghan commander. Lt. General McChrystal was a black-op guy in Iraq. The Washington Post article called him and his guys as "manhunters".

Af-Pak is the place to be, it seems. At least that's where the money is going.

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