Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Pakistanis skeptical about a new one billion dollar US embassy

By Benjamin Joffe-Walt, THe Town Nine Times

Posted on 19 Aug 2009 at 1:18am GMT
A view of the US embassy in Islamabad
A view of the US embassy in Islamabad

The Pakistani government is suspicious of a nearly one billion dollar U.S. plan to expand the American embassy in Islamabad, a senior Pakistani official told The Media Line.

Following reports earlier this week that the scheduled $945.2 million expansion of the U.S. embassy in Islamabad was to include the deployment of up to 1,000 U.S. Marines to the Pakistani capital, a highly-placed official in the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said the government is increasingly sceptical of the U.S. plan and intends to raise the issue with Richard Holbrooke, U.S. President Barack Obama’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

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1 comment:

Nasir Khan said...

Such ‘Embassies’ as in Iraq and Pakistan are a necessary step in advancing the neo-colonial project of U.S. imperialism in the whole region. But the Washington rulers make sure to present such projects to the American people and the victimized people as bringing ‘democracy’ and ‘American values’ to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq.

No doubt, the most corrupt regime in Pakistan’s history is that of President Zardari (aka Mr Ten Percent previously, but now Mr Hundred Percent!). Zardari has the full support of the Washington rulers. An enormous complex of buildings, named, the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, is going to add much more to the economic assets of this man.

For the U.S. imperial objectives the end justifies the means. The end is the control of the region. But the price is low as compared to the dividends that will follow to the military-industrial complex. By the way, any costs of war, American soldiers killed or any ‘economic loss’ due to the war, will be borne and paid by the ordinary Americans, their families and the tax payers. Obviously, the victims of war in Pakistan or Afghanistan, etc., have no voice and no one to turn to for help. But who cares?

In any case, this is the way the ’system’ works. It works remarkably well for the weapon-industry and war profiteers. There are enormous possibilities all around for them.