US says it won't buy embassy 'turkey'

[ProSense]

US says it won't buy embassy 'turkey'

By MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Writer 33 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - The State Department vowed Tuesday to hold contractors accountable for delays and construction problems with the massive new U.S. Embassy in Iraq, saying it would not pay for "a turkey."

As the U.S. government orders major repairs to correct deficiencies at the Vatican-size compound in Baghdad, the department sought to fend off mounting congressional criticism of the project and its broader operations in Iraq, including the use of private security firms to protect diplomats.

The embassy, which will be the world's largest diplomatic mission, had been scheduled to be completed in September, but last week officials said it was badly behind and might not open for business until well into 2008. It will also cost nearly $150 million more than its original $600 million price tag, they said.

The delays, charges of shoddy workmanship and fraud by the main contractor have caused growing concerns in Congress, where two top Democratic lawmakers, Reps. Tom Lantos and Henry Waxman, the chairmen of the House International Relations and House Oversight and Government Reform committees, are demanding answers and a new timeline for the embassy's opening.

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Incompetence Accomplished!

Corruption Accomplished!

[Kutjara]

Mischief Managed!

You can put away the Marauders' Map now Georgieboy.

[Blackhatjack]

1. You deal with crooks and thieves, you expect to be taken....

[Tempest]

2. They already have paid for it

They don't think the contractors have been working for free, do they?

Good luck getting even a fraction of the cost back from the contractors.

[annabanana]

3. They? THEY?. . That's you and me kiddo. . . . n/t

[Tempest]

5. I know

I'm just trying not to take it personally.

:(

[maxsolomon]

4. you will buy a turkey regardless of the workmanship

when we leave iraq that building becomes what? an insurgency museum?

even if it's the best-built building on the planet we're only going to occupy it till the clinton presidency is over in 2017.

[Webster Green]

6. Incompetence is the norm for anything the chimp administration does..

Sounds like they got stuck with counterfeit wire installed by shady contractors. The wire is marked with a gauge size that is larger than what the wire actually is. Nobody supervising ever looked at the ends of the wire to see the size of the conductors.

That will be quite an expensive fix, if the walls are up now and they have to replace the wiring.

Idiots!

[Cleita]

7. And we're so close to Thanksgiving. n/t