US Foreign Policy-The Roman Years?

How many Americans realize that we managed to build a $750 million embassy in Baghdad, really a self-contained mini-city, and intended to leave behind 16 THOUSAND people to staff it (and provide it security, etc.) at an annual cost of $6 billion?

This New York Times article leaves one wondering what the State Department was smoking (and where the rest of us can get some…)http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/world/middleeast/united-states-planning-to-slash-iraq-embassy-staff-by-half.html?hp The embassy was planned during the Bush Administration, and opened right around the time President Obama took office.

The article goes on to say that our embassy in Turkey, an incomparably more important country, has a total of 55 staff (including the Marines)  and a “single digit” cadre of actual diplomats.  Now, in view of the evident fact that the Iraqis have, understandably perhaps, little interest in working with us, there are plans for downsizing the Embassy staffing by half.  Half????

Your tax dollars at work, I guess.

On reflection, this posting is insulting to the Romans, who relied FAR more on their colonized folk to govern themselves.  They were very economical, and thus, more effective imperialists.