Ken:
Nothing more telling than to see it from the other side of the Tigris (the Red Zone).
It is, with all portents, a broad and highly visible edifice.
Steve
Ken:
Nothing more telling than to see it from the other side of the Tigris (the Red Zone).
It is, with all portents, a broad and highly visible edifice.
Steve
Steve The Planner,
You referred to: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 16,000 US Embassy Mission..
The logistics for the mission must be - well - interesting.
davidbfpo
David:
No, there is a marine contingent, but half are embassy staff and half private security (the thing Iraqis objected to the most).
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.
Bookmarks