tagged w/ US Embassy
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"The cable was sent on 9 November, 2005 by the State Dept to a diplomat connected to the US embassy in Kiev, Ukraine. As it implies, the State Dept was concerned with diplomats with loose tongues chatting about UFOs at cocktail parties and conceding that the US does allocate resources to the matter. Due to the fact that UFO and alien affairs fall within the absolute highest level of secrecy and security clearance it is hardly surprising that Julian Assange has chosen, as a safety measure, not to reveal such information.""The cable was sent on 9 November, 2005 by the State Dept to a diplomat connected... more
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After some near-riot moments outside the United States Embassy here earlier this week, officials decided it was time to act.
With thousands of desperate Haitians looking for a way out of a country devastated by the Jan. 12 earthquake, the US embassy on the city’s northern edge – like the French and Canadian embassies, though to lesser degrees – became a prime destination for would-be refugees.
The US ambassador to Haiti, Kenneth Merton, got on Haitian radio – the medium of choice for most Haitians seeking information after the quake – to spread the word: The US is providing unprecedented amounts of assistance to Haiti, he said, but the embassy is only serving the legitimate needs of American citizens.
Information was placed in newspapers. Loudspeakers were used to spread the word through the crowds of thousands lining up outside the embassy that Haitians’ needs would not be attended to at the embassy. The result is that while the crowds continue to show up every day they are considerably smaller – and more manageable – than a few days ago.
“Above everything else we wanted to make sure no one got hurt,” says Gordon Duguid, the US State Department's deputy spokesman, who traveled to Port-au-Prince with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton the Saturday after the quake and stayed on. “But as always in a situation like this, our first job is to serve American citizens.”After some near-riot moments outside the United States Embassy here earlier this week,... more
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TEHRAN, Iran - -- A cry from the streets of Tehran put Iranian attitudes toward America at the center of a day of violent clashes Wednesday.
"Obama, Obama!" protesters chanted on a day marking the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Embassy takeover. "Either you're with them, or with us."TEHRAN, Iran - -- A cry from the streets of Tehran put Iranian attitudes toward... more
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The extent of the massive waste and abuse surrounding the construction of the monstrous US embassy in Baghdad continues to expand. The State Department has just released another audit of the embassy’s construction and suggests that the Kuwaiti contractor hired by the Bush administration to do most of the construction work may have to repay more than $130 million to US taxpayers as a result of construction deficiencies, incomplete and undocumented design work, inadequate quality control and interest on unauthorized payments.
The Baghdad embassy—the largest of any nation on planet earth and ten times bigger than any other US embassy—is striking evidence indicating a continued US presence in the country for many years to come. The structure cost more than $700 million and is the size of 80 football fields. It is bigger than the Vatican, six times larger than the United Nations compound in New York and is about two thirds the size of the National Mall in Washington. It has space for 1,000 employees who are guarded by scores of paramilitary mercenary forces. In other words it is the perfect structure for a nation that claims to be leaving Iraq very soon.
Among the allegations against First Kuwaiti in the State Department audit are:
The company failed to follow contract specifications when it constructed “safe areas” in the embassy, which are “vital to protecting staff in emergency situations.”
Deficiencies at the embassy’s water treatment plant.
Using nonstandard wiring in the embassy’s power distribution system. The audit charges that First Kuwaiti “substituted a less reliable system.” The audit also says the company should repay $11 million because of the “additional operating costs” resulting from the installation of a “less efficient” system it installed.
Plumbing deficiencies at over 200 locations at the embassy.
The embassy’s fire protection systems are “not compliant with code,” while fire protection water mains were “improperly constructed.”
More @ linkThe extent of the massive waste and abuse surrounding the construction of the... more
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There are disturbing reports of debauchery at the US embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. Allegations of hazing and other inappropriate behavior is raising concerns about security. The Project on Government Oversight describes “a pervasive breakdown in the chain of command and guard force discipline and morale.”
Drunken brawls, prostitutes, hazing and humiliation, taking vodka shots out of buttcracks— no, the perpetrators of these Animal House-like antics aren't some depraved frat brothers. They are the private security contractors guarding Camp Sullivan, otherwise known as the US Embassy in Kabul.
An e-mail from one of the guards described parties on days off, during which guards and their supervisors urinated on themselves and others and ate potato chips and drank vodka from the cracks of buttocks.
--------------------------------------There are disturbing reports of debauchery at the US embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.... more
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After much delay the United States opened its new $700 million embassy in Iraq on Monday, inaugurating the largest — and most expensive — embassy ever built.
The 104-acre compound, bigger than the Vatican and about the size of 80 football fields, boasts 21 buildings, a commissary, cinema, retail and shopping areas, restaurants, schools, a fire station, power and water treatment plants, as well as telecommunications and wastewater treatment facilities.
The compound is six times larger than the United Nations compound in New York, and two-thirds the size of the National Mall in Washington.
It has space for 1,000 employees with six apartment blocks and is 10 times larger than any other U.S. embassy.
This is were all of our money is going!!!! WARS and the US ARMED FORCES.After much delay the United States opened its new $700 million embassy in Iraq on... more
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Kepano
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3 years ago
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After much delay the United States opened its new $700 million embassy in Iraq on Monday, inaugurating the largest — and most expensive — embassy ever built.
The 104-acre compound, bigger than the Vatican and about the size of 80 football fields, boasts 21 buildings, a commissary, cinema, retail and shopping areas, restaurants, schools, a fire station, power and water treatment plants, as well as telecommunications and wastewater treatment facilities.
The compound is six times larger than the United Nations compound in New York, and two-thirds the size of the National Mall in Washington.
It has space for 1,000 employees with six apartment blocks and is 10 times larger than any other U.S. embassy.
This is were all of our money is going!!!! WARS and the US ARMED FORCES.After much delay the United States opened its new $700 million embassy in Iraq on... more
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Kepano
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3 years ago
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Iraqi and American officials presided over a dedication ceremony for the sprawling new U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Monday, declaring the start of a new era for relations between the two countries.
The hourlong ceremony, which took place outside on a sunny and unseasonably warm morning, was attended by Iraqi ministers and senior military officers as well as U.S. military and diplomatic officials. The speakers - Ryan Crocker, the current U.S. ambassador to Iraq; Jalal Talabani, the Iraqi president; and John Negroponte, the first ambassador to Iraq after the invasion and now the deputy secretary of state - used their remarks as an opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments and the challenges of the past six years.
A wave of bombings across Baghdad over the course of the morning made it clear that the challenges were not over. The attacks Monday left at least two dead and dozens wounded, a day after a suicide bombing killed more than 40 people attending a Shiite shrine in central Baghdad.
Security in Baghdad and across Iraq has improved enormously over the past year, but many Iraqis, including political leaders, worry that the current quiet is merely a lull.
Crocker acknowledged the troubles since the invasion but said that the implementation of the security agreement between Iraq and the United States, which went into effect on New Year's Day, was a sign of Iraq's progress toward a stable, sovereign state.Iraqi and American officials presided over a dedication ceremony for the sprawling new... more
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BuddyP
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added this
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3 years ago
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The Federal Attorney General's office (PGR in its Spanish initials) announced the detention of two high-ranking officials from the Assistant Attorney General's Office for the Specialized Investigation of Organized Crime (SIEDO in its Spanish initials) for alleged connections with with the Beltrán Leyva brothers' criminal organization, which paid them up to USD$400,000 monthly.
The head of SIEDO, Marisela Morales Ibáñez, stated that Fernando Rivera Hernández was handed over to the Federal Prosecutor's Office. Rivera Hernández acted as deputy director of Intelligence in SIEDO's Technical Coordinating Body.
Rivera Hernández is accused of receiving "large sums of money" on behalf of the Beltrán Leyva brothers. On August 4 he was held for 40 days under pre-trail detention following a deposition from a protected witness. He was then held for an additional 30 days.
Morales Ibáñez said that on October 10 criminal proceedings were initiated against Fernando Rivera for crimes related to organized crime and against the public health,* in the category of conspiracy to encourage the possibility of committing those crimes. The 9th Criminal Court in Jalisco issued an arrest warrant for him on October 11. A few days later he was indicted and formally imprisoned.
Miguel Colorado González, SIEDO's technical coordinator, was also targeted by the criminal proceedings. Both were providing information about operations that the Federal Investigation Agency (AFI in its Spanish initials) would carry out against drug trafficking, stated Morales Ibáñez in the press conference.
Both ex-officials are being detained in the Puente Grande maximum security prison in Jalisco, where Alfredo Beltrán Leyva, aka El Mochomo, is also being held. Alfredo Beltrán is one of the leaders of the cartel that Arturo Beltrán runs. Arturo Beltrán is currently at large.
Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora stated that between July and now, 35 Mexican Prosecutor's Office agents have been detained for receiving bribes of between $150,00 and $450,000 USD monthly, according to his data.
The process of purging and investigating personnel will continue, said Medina Mora. Likewise, the assistant attorney general said that the investigations against SIEDO agents began in 2004, "as a result of thwarted operations and a formal deposition that stated that there were public servants who were passing information to the Sinaloa cartel."
The arrests of more public servants from this institution are expected. The arrests began this past July. The public servants belong to a wide network of corruption within the SIEDO. The investigations have not concluded, said Morales.
It was unofficially said that the government will investigate a series of statements which indicate that drug traffickers have informants in Interpol and the United States Embassy in Mexico.
Notes:
* Mexico has a highly controversial track for crimes related to organized crime. This track is different from the standard criminal track: organized crime suspects have fewer rights, can be held incomunicado for longer periods of time, and face longer prison sentences. Crimes against public health also fall under the organized crime rubric.The Federal Attorney General's office (PGR in its Spanish initials) announced the... more
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Thousands of people are gathering in Damascus for a mass demonstration against an alleged US raid on a Syrian village which killed eight people.
Riot police, armed with batons and shields, have surrounded the US embassy in Damascus, which has closed due to "increased security concerns".
The US state department and the White House have refused to confirm, deny or comment on the alleged attack.
The Syrian government has demanded an apology from Washington.
It also threatened to cut off co-operation on Iraqi border security if the US carries out any more raids on Syrian territory.
Unnamed US officials said the target of the attack was the leader of a network with links to al-Qaeda, smuggling foreign fighters into Iraq.
Damascus said it was doing all it could to stem any traffic of foreign fighters across the long and porous border.
Iraq has said it will share the results of its own investigation into the raid near Abu Kamal, some eight kilometres (five miles) north of Iraq's border with Syria. Thousands of people are gathering in Damascus for a mass demonstration against an... more
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"At least 25 militants with suspected links to al-Qaida have been arrested in connection with Wednesday's deadly attack on the U.S. Embassy in the Yemeni capital, a senior security official said on Thursday.
The Yemeni official said the 25 have been rounded up from various parts of Yemen over the past 24 hours and were being questioned by Yemeni and U.S. investigators. "
"At least 25 militants with suspected links to al-Qaida have been arrested in... more
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At least 16 were killed in a suicide bomb attack on the US embassy in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, according to official reports. A suicide car bomber and armed fighters closed in on the embassy early Wednesday morning. A group called Islamic Jihad in Yemen has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack, and further threatened to target the British, Emirati and Saudi embassies in Sanaa.At least 16 were killed in a suicide bomb attack on the US embassy in the Yemeni... more
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Kenya and Tanzania are preparing to mark the 10th anniversary of deadly bomb attacks on their US embassies.
Ceremonies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam will remember victims of the co-ordinated attacks, which killed more than 200 and injured at least 4,000. The commemorations are due to start at 1000 local time (0800 BST), about the time that the bombs exploded.
In Kenya, a manhunt is currently under way for a member of al-Qaeda still wanted in connection with the attacks. It is believed Fazul Abdullah Mohammed evaded a police raid at the weekend in the coastal town of Malindi, where he was staying with friends.
Twin commemorations are being held in Nairobi - one at the US embassy and the other at a memorial park in the city, which Prime Minister Raila Odinga is expected to attend.
Read more...Kenya and Tanzania are preparing to mark the 10th anniversary of deadly bomb attacks... more
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Apparently last year there were a number of complaints made by the US Embassy about a tendency of the local soldiers patrolling the Embassy to get stoned and wonder off for a piss.
Sometimes just going to find somewhere to urinate abandoning their post, in a few cases even forgetting their weapon by their post. In one case it was discovered that two rifles were abandoned at the owners posts.
It's obviously bad considering their an armed force, although to me this is extremely funny considering any danger to the embassy that isn't civilian protest is probably non-existent, at least in Switzerland.Apparently last year there were a number of complaints made by the US Embassy about a... more
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