More signs of empire:
After months of delay, the United States has established an embassy in Baghdad, the State Department said Monday.
After delays, U.S. diplomats will begin moving into the mammoth new heavily fortified embassy next month.
Undersecretary for Management Patrick Kennedy said Monday he signed a “certificate of occupancy,” which gives the United States ownership of the heavily fortified embassy compound inside the Green Zone and allows staff to move into its 27 buildings.
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The Vatican-size compound, which will be the largest U.S. diplomatic facility in the world, was scheduled to open in September at a cost of $592 million, but the price tag is expected to rise to more than $730 million.