This New York Times article on the supposed reconsideration of the size of the U.S. Embassy in Iraq has some surprising bits of truth:
“The main issue between Iraqis and the U.S. Embassy is that we have not seen, and do not know anything about, an agreement between the Iraqi government and the U.S.,” said Nahida al-Dayni, a lawmaker and member of Iraqiya, a largely Sunni bloc in Parliament.
Expressing a common sentiment among Iraqis, she added: “The U.S. had something on their mind when they made it so big. Perhaps they want to run the Middle East from Iraq, and their embassy will be a base for them here.”
Even as U.S. officials claim they’re “slash[ing] by as much as half the enormous diplomatic presence” in Iraq, the Associated Press reported less than two weeks ago preparations by the Obama administration for negotiations with Iraq for a new defense agreement that may include an expanded number of U.S. troops.
