06.08.2008
July 30, 2008 (the date of publication in Russian)
Grigory Tinsky
THE HEADQUARTERS OF COLONIAL MANAGEMENT
The bunker-like US Embassy in Baghdad was built by slave labor from India and Bangladesh
"LIBERATION", INVOLVING THIEVERY AND TORTURE
The end of the first American "five-year plan" was marked with a scandal. A failure of electricity in the newly-built US Embassy in Baghdad injured several cooks when they were preparing dinner for the personnel. The accident implied an ill omen.
The US Embassy mounts over the Tiger River, occupying the territory of the former public park of a size comparable with the State of Vatican. The architecture resembles a medieval castle with windows like arrowslits. It is rumored to be the most spacious diplomatic office in the world.
Entering Baghdad on the 19th day of intervention in 2003, the Americans were supposed to import the modern standards of the Western world such as political democracy, public order, respect of law, and prosperity. Instead, the whole country was overtaken with chaos, which eventually encompassed the everyday activity of the occupying military and civil powers as well.
The expenses of the US budget for the war in Iraq have long exceeded $500 billion. However, this generous spending has hardly produced an effect on the everyday life of the Iraqi population. In fact, US corporations, tasked to carry out the postwar reconstruction, are robbing their own government. Dick Cheney's Halliburton Corp., snipping a $7 billion contract for reconstruction of Iraq's oil infrastructure, has failed to raise extraction even to the pre-war level. The same company purchased gasoline for the Army's needs in Kuwait for $80,000 and promptly resold it to the US Government for $27 million. Russian corruptionists who capitalized from the first war in Chechnya (where construction materials were conveniently written off after a supposedly Islamist explosion), could envy to the extent of American thievery.
Similarly, the infamous "White Swan" penitentiary in Ingushetia looks like a hotel in comparison with the Abu Ghraib jail in Iraq, with torture practice carried out without any necessity, just for fun. Even after this practice was exposed by US journalists, the victims have not received compensations or even apology for the mistreatment they had undergone.
Private guards from Blackwater Corp. freely race across Baghdad, freely killing local citizens and enjoying immunity from local persecution. Thus, the story of construction of the US Embassy is only one of many symptoms of the victory of the Iraq chaos over American order – one but most illustrative.
THE CAPTURE OF THE LABOR FORCE
The contract for construction of the Embassy was won by First Kuwaiti Corp., whose owner Wadih al-Absi uses every opportunity to express his devotion to America. These expressions of loyalty are unsurprising given the amount of money he managed to save on labor force with connivance of the US Administration.
First Kuwaiti employs several thousands of "Gastarbeiter", recruited from the poorest population of India, Bangladesh and the Philippines. The recruits worked for 12 hours a day without weekends for a monthly salary of $300-500, in terrible heat and under fire.
Rory Mayberry, a former subcontractor of Kellogg, Brown & Root, says he met these poor people in the airport of El Kuwait. They were sure they were employed for construction of a skyscraper in the fairy city of Dubai. Learning that their real point of destination was Baghdad, they tried to protest but a First Kuwaiti manager calmed them down, exposing a rifle. They realized they had no choice. "These people were kidnapped to build the embassy", says Mayberry.
Wadih al Absi gained the contract in accordance with the decision of the US Congress, by slashing the original $1.3 billion sum of contract to a "modest" $600 million. No American or European company would agree to build the enormous diplomatic office for this miserable amount of money. The contract suggested construction of a complex of 27 buildings on a territory of 42 hectares, in order to host 1000 diplomats and 3000 military servicemen and private guards. The project involved first-class swimming pools, shops, beauty salons, cinema halls, tennis courts, restaurants and clubs, providing all possible conveniences for the diplomatic community. The Embassy was to be completely isolated from the outer world where electricity functioned for four hours a day and streets were banked with guck.
INCONVENIENCE OF SLEEP WITH A HELMET ON
In order to separate the VIPs and diplomats from this uncomfortable world, the Embassy was equipped with independent water wells, food storages, independent power supply and sewage system, a hospital, as well as direct phone connection with the United States, using the area code of Virginia. The 4 meters-thick external walls could endure a missile attack.
Originally, the US Embassy was housed in the largest palace of dictator Saddam Hussein, but this location was recognized as politically inexpedient – as well as the US flag mounted on the pedestal of the overthrown statue of Saddam.
Still, the implied considerations were not only political. By 2004, the palace already lacked space for the permanently increasing number of diplomatic personnel. The newcomers had to spend nights in the barracks of the Green Zone, and found this uncomfortable despite the high wall of concrete surrounding the area. The reluctance of the arriving contingent to reside in the Green Zone increased after the episode in spring, when local rebels launched a missile attack on the area, using the opportunity of a simoom that screened them from US helicopters and radars. The personnel even had to spend several nights with helmets and vests on.
Thus, construction of the embassy complex was declared a priority. Jane Loeffler, author of the book "Architecture in diplomacy: Construction of US embassies", admitted that the project did not a bit reflect any confidence to the Iraqi people as well as hope for their better future. "Instead, the Americans are constructing a formidable fortress, destined for a long-time residence in the country overtaken with an epidemic of violence", writes Loeffler.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS FOR DIPLOMACY
"Traditionally, embassies are designed in a way to correspond with the neighborhood. Diplomats are supposed to visit city authorities, to buy food in local shops, to clean linen in local laundries. Diplomacy is a job that does not suggest isolation. The Embassy in Baghdad demonstrates a kind of a new trend. Thousands of officials are hiding beyond walls. In conditions like that, I don't know how to perform diplomacy", says ex-Ambassador Edward Peck.
In its recent report, International Crisis Group (ICG) indicates that the enormous dimensions of the embassy are supposed to demonstrate who the real sovereign is. Observing the building, one can hardly believe that the Americans are going to ever withdraw their troops from Iraq.
The territory for the embassy was conveyed by the Iraqi Government for free, though the price of the land is estimated in $1000 for 1 sq. m. In this way, local officials thanked the United States for the share of donations that never reached the Iraqi people.
However, the idea to save money by using slave labor turned its natural effect, familiar to Russian construction companies recruiting workers from Tajikistan. By summer 2007, when the Embassy was supposed to move to the new headquarters, only one building was completed. On May 29, 2007, the Embassy reported to Washington:
"The equipment of the canteen was tested during five days before opening, and was expected to function normally. On May 15, the first meals were to be prepared. However, several cooks got a flash burn, and singeing smell spread across the building. The situation was discussed at the meeting of the operative staff. It was found out that the cables were partly torn, without proper isolation and earth bonding. The diameter of the cables did not exceed 6 mm, though the contract supposed 10-mm wire.
"In early May, we also detected the reek of formaldehyde in living quarters. The personnel were nervous. We addressed the Saudi producer, Read Sea Co., who confirmed that formaldehyde is used in construction materials. The producer advised us to air the rooms more frequently, but the smell is still there.
"On May 25, during the testing launch of the energy generator, we detected a leakage of fuel from all the ten pipes supplying the generator. It was found out that the fuel tanks were made of metal exposed to corrosion, and were not equipped with temperature detectors".
Eventually, the Ambassador made the decision to seal the building, arguing that use of the facility is fatally dangerous. The State Dept concluded that the problems result from "cultural differences between the US investor and the Saudi contractor", promising to solve the problem in the nearest time.
In summer 2007, the reports of Rory Mayberry, exposing the fact of illegal recruitment by First Kuwaiti, surfaced in mass media. It was confirmed by construction supervisor Jim Owens. In their testimony at the commission of the US Congress, the two witnesses claimed that the kidnapped workers, on their arrival in Baghdad, were told to yield up their passports, and underwent physical and verbal humiliation by Arab managers. According to the testimony, the Gastarbeiter were forced to work on a height of 10 m without belay, and spend nights in packed rooms, not supposed for human residence.
The hired workers rejected these claims in public, saying there were satisfied with the conditions of work and that they had delivered their passports voluntarily. Meanwhile, the State Dept hurried to support Wadih, as repudiation of the contract would postpone the implementation of the project that was long overdue.
STILL, NOT ENOUGH SPACE
Meanwhile, the unfortunate project encountered new troubles. In autumn 2007, the building was hit by a missile and proved to be far from safe. The damage was significant, and one of the workers was killed. It also appeared that in one of the buildings, the stairs did not reach the upper floor, while the anti-fire system was defunct as during the testing, the hose was torn by the water.
Eventually, the State Dept admitted the necessity to disburse a sum of $144 million to complete the project, under the pretext that it was also now supposed to host the office of the Commander of the US forces in Iraq. Meanwhile, Washington Post reported that the additional expenses were caused with poor planning, disgusting implementation, turf war in the command, and hesitation of the State Dept. In December 2007, General Charles Williams, head of the State Dept's Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, resigned from his post. His successor, Richard Shinnick, demanded a thorough scrutiny of the project. He claimed that the work is carried out "abnormally", as the necessary supervision procedures had been skipped in haste.
Months later, in April 2008, the Embassy was finally accepted for operation by the State Dept's commission. The building was granted a certificate of security, though hot-water supply systems were still put of gear in several buildings. Ambassador Ryan Croker promised that in summer, the building would be in function.
Still, the story is far from a happy end. The State Dept concluded that the huge complex appeared not sufficiently spacious, as during the period of construction, the US contingent had even more expanded, and several hundred officials will not enjoy the opportunity to use the missile-safe headquarters.
Number of shows: 1181
ENG 
