End of Mission-Iraq

[davidbfpo]

Steve The Planner,

You referred to:

.. the 16,000 US Embassy Mission..

Please confirm sixteen thousand Marines are the US Embassy guard. That is incredible, I don't have my IISS Military Balance to hand, but IIRC there is a SWJ article that refers to the Corps being 240k.

The logistics for the mission must be - well - interesting.

[Steve the Planner]

David:

No, there is a marine contingent, but half are embassy staff and half private security (the thing Iraqis objected to the most).

[Ken White]

The large ones, London, Paris, Tokyo, Beijing etc. have more while most smaller nation have less than a dozen. (LINK). In addition to the Marines, Embassies also have State Department Diplomatic Security officer, DoS civilian employees (LINK) and may also have civiilian contract security elements.

I think the total footprint in Iraq next year for US DoS and DoD (military training missions and military equipment delivery teams, no combat elements) and other agencies like Commerce, Agriculture and so forth (to include Contractors) is purported to be less than 6,000. Still a bunch, though Iran back in the days of the Shah had over 3,000 at times.