The U.S. military is pushing a five-year, $5 billion development plan to dramatically transform Baghdad's Green Zone, the secured enclave where the American Embassy and the Iraqi government is based, The Associated Press has learned. Hotels, a shopping center, condos and a soccer stadium are all envisioned in the plan. -- AP
See! Wasn't it just the other day that I was suggesting that we send the soldiers from the 82nd Airborne, who live in the Piss Barracks, to Baghdad to live in the $800 Billion Dollar Embassy. From my lips to Gods ears. Or in this case Navy wingnut and Freedom Village on The Euphrates (as I call it.) Military Liason, Captain Karnowski.
But the $5 billion plan has the backing of the Pentagon and apparently the interest of some deep pockets in the world of international hotels and development, the lead military liaison for the project told the Associated Press.
For Washington, the driving motivation is to create a "zone of influence" around the new $700 million U.S. Embassy to serve as a kind of high-end buffer for the compound, whose total price tag will reach about $1 billion after all the workers and offices are relocated over the next year.
"When you have $1 billion hanging out there and 1,000 employees lying around, you kind of want to know who your neighbors are. You want to influence what happens in your neighborhood over time," said Navy Capt. Thomas Karnowski, who led the team that created the development plan. --Associate Press
Here is what my neighbors have to do in order to use the facilities in their neighborhood, Captain. The story goes on to outline all the fun that this Captain, and Lt. Col. Monte Harner and other "American Officials" are having getting this "deal" together. It seems clear to me that there are still more than a couple of those idealistic theoconservative morons walking the halls of the green zone bunkers these days.
But here is my question. Just how much TAX PAYER money is being wasted on this bullshit, when decorated combat veterans have to walk through filth in order to use the bathroom?
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