Hightower Lowdown

To those critics who
keep yammering that the
Bushites have spent billions
of our tax dollars for
the reconstruction of Iraq
but have built practically
nothing, I say, “Ha!”
If you went to Iraq today,
you’d see a marvelous new
complex rising right in the
heart of Baghdad. This
104-acre shining oasis will
include more than 600
apartments, two major
office buildings, its own
electricity plant and water
system, air conditioning, a
swimming pool, a gym, a
movie theater, a food court,
a beauty salon, a car-repair
shop, and even a night club.
This sprawling new
town, which will have
8,000 people working in it
when completed next
year, must be a welcome
sign of progress and a
symbol of democratic
pride for the long-suffering
people of Iraq—right?
Well…not exactly. You
see, this palace is not for
them. This is to be the new
U.S. embassy.
Being built by an affiliate
of—guess who?—
Halliburton, this half-billion
-dollar, self-contained
complex will be by far the
largest embassy in the
world. But this is no mere
house of diplomacy—it’s a
mini-state inside Iraq’s
capitol, establishing a permanent
American base
that literally ripples with
negative symbolism.
Surrounded by 15-footwalls,
guarded by Marines,
and overlooking the
chambers housing the
Iraqi government, this
fortress is viewed by the
people as a palace of
occupation, an infuriating
reminder of who really
holds the reins of power.