A Harsh American Footprint

re: A Harsh American Footprint

olderwiser — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:47:56 GMT

"Dismal and defeatist". What a description of a building. The architect was a genius to match it to our involvement in Iraq, from weapons of mass destruction, to jerking the head off of the dictator who used to rule there, to Halliburton's no bid contract, to Aby Ghrab, to thousands of our maimed soldiers and those with PTSD, to how to get out of there, and on and on.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

bitterblogger — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:42:13 GMT

It looks like the outside of a generic sports stadium, FROM THE ONE PICTURE PROVIDED. Why no video? And why no comment from an architect or planner instead? Who's Larry Kaplow anyway?

re: A Harsh American Footprint

thebob.bob — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:50:50 GMT

It looks like an armed encampment because that's what it is, a defensive position in a hostile land. Years after the 'cakewalk' and flowered greetings, The Bush Administration lie that is our occupation of Iraq remains. It's a symbol of a monumental failure, dismal and defeated.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

Repubssuck — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:50:19 GMT

The Boxer Rebellion redux.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

Repubssuck — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:51:50 GMT

The Boxer Rebellion Redux.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

Repubssuck — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:52:21 GMT

sorry, sorry

re: A Harsh American Footprint

rudi somuah — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:56:58 GMT

what the building is really saying is that "we don't want you in here applying for a visa you're simply not gonna get. please back away from the building". it looks like a giant electric pencil sharpener!

re: A Harsh American Footprint

jeanvaljean — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:13:13 GMT

Hey, the RepubliCONS went back to the Maginot line for inspiration. How are the roof defenses? Any guess how the Nazis destroyed the Mega Bunker Eban Emael? Anyway, stuff the rat trap to its limits with Fascist ideologues while awaiting God or was that Godot or was that Godette or was that Muhammad's harlot Fatima or was that Moishe Heston?

re: A Harsh American Footprint

sjbrock80 — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:30:48 GMT

If the embassy was built under Obama's "reign", I'm sure it would've been a symbol of freedom and liberty for all, right?

Hey, theboob. bob, read about yellow cake in Iraq before spouting about lies. The only lies we've heard about the war the past 5 years have come from major media. Use credible sources to form an opinion, not the rambling of media deadset on blaming one man for the downfall of anything and everything that comes along.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

lisarae38 — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:13:09 GMT

Who cares what it looks like, and I sure hope it was cheap! The minute the Troops turn their back and let their gaurd down it will be blown to pieces. Why does it matter how fancy it is? If is was too fancy, everyone would complain about how much $$$$$$$$ was in it! Cant have it both ways!

re: A Harsh American Footprint

lisarae38 — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:23:02 GMT

The people of that country DONT want us there and the minute the TROOPS turn their back and let their gaurd down some radical junkies wil strap a bomb to themselves and destroy it anyways. Some grand palace affair would be a waste of US money, we can't afford that. WHO CARES?

re: A Harsh American Footprint

jpooch00 — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:35:28 GMT

So what??

re: A Harsh American Footprint

drasmus — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:43:17 GMT

Dismal and defeatist???

What do you want... party baloons, rock music blarring from giant speakers and perhaps some girls wearing "Planet Baghdad" teeshirts and short shorts?

How can you justify a negative attitude about an embassy?

re: A Harsh American Footprint

bmark — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:50:46 GMT

What, no picture???? What I can't believe is the dismal state of reporting, here we have an article about how the embassy looks without a single picture. Reporters, no picture, no story.

MSNBC » Blog Archive » Newsweek: Inside the dismal new Baghdad embassy

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:27:17 GMT

PingBack from http://msnbc.postdown.com/2009/01/06/newsweek-inside-the-dismal-new-baghdad-embassy/

re: A Harsh American Footprint

ktucan1 — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:08:05 GMT

Honestly who cares about Iraq or anything associated with it......it's just another embassy and if you like the looks of it then you do...if you don't..like I said who cares. Iraqi won't last long anyways and we need to get out of this notion that no country around the world can survive without the help of the United States...It's time to get the hell out of there and if Iraq fails....I for one won't lose any sleep over it but I'm pretty sure some of you will...

re: A Harsh American Footprint

mspead2 — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:24:12 GMT

I agree - who cares if the architecture is pretty. Personally, I am glad it isn't pretty - we have spent too much money over there already.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

Disgrunted — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:35:29 GMT

Business as usual with our government. Waste and more waste!!! That hugh amount of money could have been utilized at home taking care of OUR people. As was stated in the newspapers, the only ones that made out in Iraq were the contractors who got rich. And our government was responsible for all the waste of our tax money. So now we have an Embassy which will ultimately become a tempting target for the bad guys. Guess they never heard of rockets such as the ones launched from Gaza into Israel. We will eventually pull out of Iraq as we did in Viet Nam. We have a habit of cutting and running. And the bad guys will take charge of the new shining example of our governments continued stupidity.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

news8111 — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:37:26 GMT

Money that could have been better spent helping the poor and needy in America.

What a reprehensible waste of money.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

bmd12345 — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:39:35 GMT

Who cares? Obviously a propaganda article. Get a life buddy, do something good for this country. Maybe clean up the strip malls and signs that seem to show up at every US town nowadays

re: A Harsh American Footprint

Omnius — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:15:06 GMT

Great article Larry and friends! What moron would build such a disgusting and dismal overly large embassy in Iraq? Oh Yeah "Tyrant" Bush would. No surprise that the project is a year late and $140 million over budget. There's just no reason for such a grandiose embassy in such a volatile country. 10 to 20 years from now we'll be witnessing another embassy takeover here. A waste of money by the bushwhacker that could have been better spent on the poor here in our own country or to fix up our crumbling infrastructure.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

skitch — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:18:15 GMT

While appropriate in scale, the Iraq embassy in Washington D.C. doesn't add much architecturally to our capitol either:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Iraq_Embassy.JPG

re: A Harsh American Footprint

bahamachris — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:38:08 GMT

Seriously! Do you Newsweek guys have nothing better to report on other then the apparent lack of architectural flourish? Come on!

re: A Harsh American Footprint

zucchini — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:11:01 GMT

Oh, you can cross the river and take photos from various balconies and hotels?! Interesting! How about you include a picture of this nasty building! A picture's worth a thousand words. Thankfully, you only spent about 700 to describe it.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

FATJOEY — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:30:00 GMT

ALL THOSE MACHINE GUN TURRETS MUST LOOK BAD?

re: A Harsh American Footprint

Ldead-y — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:27:04 GMT

A bad idea, no matter how much you spend, no matter how much time has passed is till a bad idea.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

twmutm — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:30:51 GMT

Where have you people been these last few years. The yellow cake you speak of was under the IAEC CONTROL since 1991 and just now in the last few years they thought it was safe enough to move it to Canada. It was stored in 55/gal drums and under guard at all times. Maybe Saddam might have thought about reconstuting the nuclear program, but it didn't happen.

You can THANK, JUDY MILLER, BILL KELLER and the NYTimes for the spreading of false information by Ahamad Chalibi while working with the Pentagon which helped to pass to Italy the false statement of the WMDs that were supposed to under Saddam Hussein control. These are the people directly responsible for this Largest Embassy in the world "AND ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATHS OF OVER 4,200 AND WOUNDING OF 30,700+" of our military which was built on the backs of our all "Volunteer military, Reserves and National Guardsmen" that AP International reporter Charles J. Henely wrote articles about this and his other article was about "A longer stay in Iraq by our US Military. on March 26, 2006 and wrote about on May 5, 2006 about the Colossal Embassy" being built by 900 Aisian Slave labor imported by the Gulf and Western Trading Company of Kuwaiti, which was accused of "Human Trafficking"

See why Colen Powel and CIA director George Tenent steered clear of information provided by Chalibi about WMD. Our men and women in uniform were sent to the Middle East for Nation Building. Rep. John Boehner R-OH once said "that the sacrifice of 3,700 of our military was a "SMALL PRICE FOR OUR POSITION IN THE MIDDLE EAST"

Right now our present leadership is allowing the destruction of Gaza. THe palastine people are fighting with stones against a very well financed Israei military with modern air crafts, tanks, laser guided missiles fire by US F-16s and heavy damaging arsenal. Plus the objective is the money given to Israel over the years of $2.5 Billion dollars/year and a new arrangement of $35 Billion over 10 years. All this and the Palistine nation recieve pittyful foreign aid. The Bush and Republican want to transorm the Middle East into a Capitalist STATE WHICH IS NOWHERE NEAR A DOMOCRACY.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

DCMan — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:31:46 GMT

Has any one seen the main Department of State building in DC?? It certainly doesn't look like a foregin ministry building that you would find in any other country. It's drab, boxy and ugly. Why should our embassies look any better? Besides as soon as we pull out of there it's probably going to be shelled or come under mortar attack. I pray that this doesn't happen, but why make it lavish and ornate if it's only going to be wrecked eventually.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

PGelsman — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:48:39 GMT

A total waste of OUR money!

re: A Harsh American Footprint

underdog — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:15:38 GMT

Newsweek is reporting on interior design? Hard hitting journalism at it's best.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

DrZook — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:35:32 GMT

Mr. Kaplow your criticism of the building is premature, since the full construction has yet to be completed.

However, the building will be fully finished shortly; as soon as the sign is erected which reads, "Ministry of Peace".

re: A Harsh American Footprint

Lucero.fr-dr — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:40:51 GMT

We as Americans have a tendency to see things too disconnected from one area to another. In this case the author very intelligently demonstrates how the current architectural style of the Embassy, which is afterall the trademark of the nation State abroad, reflects the rigid American attitude in the region and extends even to represent our treatment of the local population. This is indeed important to discuss - if we discover or are remminded of anything in this article it is of the wasted dollars in projects that have little to no positive reinfocement for the indigenous population there. How attractive can Democracy look when the self-declared shining star of democracy (no rude pun intended on our Stars and Stripes) looks more like a prison than a place of light and beauty, harmony in lines and melodious in overall presentation. Yet, hopefully the stars and stripes will soon become the true torch bearer of something greater than this legacy left by this president's administration into something that we can truly be proud of, for that population and ours.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

Rebel1 — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:54:07 GMT

A picture is worth a thousand words! Show us what it looks like so we can make our own comments. Remember, this isn't the U.S. and our standards aren't theirs. We tend to judge things by the way we think and act and that isn't true throughout this world.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

baccaruda — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:43:42 GMT

Having been to Iraq, I know what the embassy looks like. FYI Your not allowed to take pictures in many areas and I guarentee the new embassy is a No Camara zone. regardless, Had the embassy been built with "flourishes" and "Trellised Balconies" this same reporter would have been crying American Taxpayer money being wasted on same. Its an Embassy, nothing more, nothing less.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

aarmoure — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:49:08 GMT

Mr. Kaplow, Please stay in Baghdad and be a critic of US architecture and all things American. I'm sure they will appreciate you there although it may take some time for you to get out from under the umbrella of protection provided you by the US military.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

nirak — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:05:58 GMT

What an ugly eyesore

I hope there is at least is a MacDonalds in that place to make it truly American

re: A Harsh American Footprint

Republican Liberal — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:32:19 GMT

Hey Boy and Girls, Since we the Iraqi people have pulled the oil contracts from the USA and given them to China, why do we need an embassy. Turn off the lights and let's go home. GW BBQing.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

Swisspeas — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:14:04 GMT

ALLAH AHKBAR!! God (Muslim) is Great!

DEATH to all infidels... Bustize Korhara *** ba fangu la chucha de tu madre!!!

Allah Ahkbar!! IRAQUI yes...USA NO!! Me cago en tu cara gringo maricon!!! Allah Ahkbar!!

--- Achmed ben Jafiir al Waziri

re: A Harsh American Footprint

funkdome — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:27:50 GMT

Typical liberal partisan crap.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

Sanescience — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:54:53 GMT

Yes, the architecture of the embassy is what will win over the friends and enemies of US. Later the US can add superficial decorations and structure and then the superficial politicians and reporters will be impressed and favorable to the US.

Oh, and please make the food ration boxes more decorative. I see many hungry people think lowly of the food aid because of the plain brown box shape.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

lmhnw — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:33:13 GMT

Ok, Swisspeas, you want us to believe that broken Spanish is Arabic and that you are a "typical" angry Muslim?

re: A Harsh American Footprint

idonow — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:46:16 GMT

olderwiser:saddams head was not torn off, that happened to his brother-in-law

re: A Harsh American Footprint

varky — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:30:48 GMT

As one of the "prisoners" in these awful buildings I want to thank you for your article. It's nice that somebody recognizes the whole fiasco!

re: A Harsh American Footprint

wwwcbl — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:33:01 GMT

Democracy is something practiced in Constitutional Monarchies like Sweden, Denmark and Norway. The US speaks a great deal on the subject, promotes it as if they invented it but the truth is that Prison structure in Baghdad represents the dank reality that is the USA.

Cheers and Jeers: Wednesday

Anonymous — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:58:51 GMT

From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE... Quit Whining, It's Just Your Money Newsweek's Larry Kaplow visited

PoliTrix » Blog Archive » Cheers and Jeers: Wednesday

Anonymous — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:58:58 GMT

PingBack from http://www.popmartian.com/politrix/2009/01/cheers-and-jeers-wednesday-9/

re: A Harsh American Footprint

olderwiser — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:30:48 GMT

Harsh American Footprint says it all, from flowers in Baghdad to the Embassy Structure. It will be a popular place to throw shoes after we leave there.

AMERICAN NONSENSE » Cheers and Jeers: Wednesday

Anonymous — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:11:14 GMT

PingBack from http://americannonsense.com/?p=19048

re: A Harsh American Footprint

Trooper101st — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:53:13 GMT

Talibani is a Kurd, whose people have benefitted greatly from the US invasion. Iam sure Maliki and his Shia supporters would rather it not be built at all, since thier post US plans smack of a dictatorship. As soon as US combat forces leave, I believe all hell will break loose. The Sunni's in Anbar are getting a raw deal now, wat happens when we leave? We are going to supply the IA with Abrams tanks and other state of the art weaponry? I guess the REAL winners here are the military contractors, selling weapons to an unstable gov. with close ties to IRAN. Another Bush backfire. Good bye Dubya, don't let the door hit ya in the azz when you go. IDIOT, LIAR, SELL-OUT.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

Trooper101st — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:03:00 GMT

After all that lying and misdirection, Bush & Co did not even get wat they wanted all along. The Iraqi's signed contracts with the Chinese, and thats the "THANK YOU" we got for sacrificing the cream of our military in an unneccesary war. Bad play Dubya, you and ur "boys" should be in shackles SOON. I pray to God that p.o.s. Cheney goes to jail. We followed orders, but knew all along why we were there. Soldiers are NOT stupid. They just follow orders given.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

Hilotc — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 20:42:32 GMT

Trooper101st.

God Bless You!

God Bless America!

How can anyone condone the decisions Bush and Cheney made.

What a terrible, terrible, terrible Administration.

It makes me sick to think it is possible they will not suffer from their horrible acts.

You hit the nail on the head IDIOT, LIAR and SELL-OUT.

re: A Harsh American Footprint

ericdrexil — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 18:45:19 GMT

When your dream of a collapse in Iraq doesn't come true , you have to come up with this! Don't despair: Iraq may yet descend into chaos. Newsweek shouldn't give up hope! Next weeks headline from Iraq, "Ambassador's Tie Too Wide!"