From the dept of unintentional irony

[mgb_phys]

The US just opened it's largest, most expensive and most heavily fortified embassy - in Baghdad.

US spokeswoman said: "Its scale reflects the importance of the US-Iraq bilateral relationship," she said. "It reflects a more normal situation."

 

[Astronuc]

I wonder if they have the same warning sign as they do at the US Embassy in Istanbul, which basically indicates that one will be shot if one makes any sudden move.

From Thomas Freidmean - "The new consulate looks like a maximum security prison. All that's missing is a moat with alligators and a sign that says: ''Attention! You are now approaching a U.S. Consulate. Any sudden movement and you will be shot. All visitors welcome." "

 

[russ_watters]

The US just opened it's largest, most expensive and most heavily fortified embassy - in Baghdad.

US spokeswoman said: "Its scale reflects the importance of the US-Iraq bilateral relationship," she said. "It reflects a more normal situation."

Please explain where you see irony.

 

[mgb_phys]

Its scale reflects the importance of the US-Iraq bilateral relationship

It's the largest US embassy in the world. Is it's relationship with Iraq so vital to the USA?

It reflects a more normal situation

It's basically a huge bomb shelter. I hate to think what they consider an abnormal situation.

There is an episode of Yes Minister where he is trying to explain away an invasion.
A>"It a goodwill visit"
Q>"Three airborne divisions?"
A>"It just shows how much goodwill we have for them"

 

[drankin]

I really don't get the irony either. I don't think anything less than a bomb shelter would be very safe in Iraq.

 

[russ_watters]

It's the largest US embassy in the world. Is it's relationship with Iraq so vital to the USA?

Is that part of the irony?

It's basically a huge bomb shelter. I hate to think what they consider an abnormal situation.

What does that have to do with the quote? It isn't normal* vs abnormal: the quote says "more" normal. I'd say that having diplomatic relations including an embassy is more normal than not having diplomatic relations.

*Caveat: the scenario of having an embassy and dipolomatic relations is, actually, often called "normal" relations.

We did have a recent thread on the subject of irony that may be of help if you are having trouble with the concept: https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=282863

 

[edward]

Sure this is all perfectly normal. We have no stronger ally than Iraq. We have no business interests larger than those in Iraq. The Iraqi people love America. Our long term relationship with Iraq deserves the largest most expensive embassy in the world.

Gimme a break. It is irony and stupidity all in one package.

 

[drankin]

Sure this is all perfectly normal. We have no stronger ally than Iraq. We have no business interests larger than those in Iraq. The Iraqi people love America. Our long term relationship with Iraq deserves the largest most expensive embassy in the world.

Gimme a break. It is irony and stupidity all in one package.

Are you suggesting that we DO NOT have an embassy (after all this crap) or that if we do it should be some shack on a street corner? Either would be a form of irony, IMO.

 

[LowlyPion]

Are you suggesting that we DO NOT have an embassy (after all this crap) or that if we do it should be some shack on a street corner? Either would be a form of irony, IMO.

You seem to act like Iraq should be glad that Bush and Cheney practiced their long distance loving with them.

The fact that the Embassy must be a fortress says an awful lot about our relationship with them at the twilight of our stay there.

Just 14 more days and what I'd call the National Disgrace of the Bush/Cheney tenure in office is over. Bush can go off to planning his library and Cheney to ponder why people don't appreciate him.

 

[russ_watters]

Sure this is all perfectly normal. We have no stronger ally than Iraq. We have no business interests larger than those in Iraq. The Iraqi people love America. Our long term relationship with Iraq deserves the largest most expensive embassy in the world.

Gimme a break. It is irony and stupidity all in one package.

Yeah, I'm not seeing either. I'm just seeing sarcasm. Perhaps you could rephrase?

Also, the words "perfectly normal" don't appear anywhere else in this thread but in your post. So I'm not sure what point you are trying to make with that unless you are trying to put words in peoples' mouths.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I wonder if they have the same warning sign as they do at the US Embassy in Istanbul, which basically indicates that one will be shot if one makes any sudden move.

From Thomas Freidmean - "The new consulate looks like a maximum security prison. All that's missing is a moat with alligators and a sign that says: ''Attention! You are now approaching a U.S. Consulate. Any sudden movement and you will be shot. All visitors welcome." "

It should say, "All slow-moving visitors welcome".

 

[seycyrus]

Ahh this thread is nothing more than another transparent attempt to throw some dirt on the Bush admin.

The embassy is neither ironic nor stupid.

It is large and from reports I've heard includes a school and its own utilities. Hopefully, it will provide an image of stability and goodwill.

 

[russ_watters]

Irony: people flinging mud by claiming the normalization of relations is abnormal.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I think the irony relates to a country that was going to greet us as liberators, where instead we find: about a trillion dollars wasted; thousands of dead Americans; tens of thousands injured and maimed Americans, many of whom will never recover completely; an unknown number of dead and maimed innocent Iraqis; an empowered Iran; a US reputation all but destroyed, even among some of our best allies; a divided US; torture a point of discussion; our Constitution and protections under siege in order to "free" Iraq; and almost six years after this began, we have to build a bomb shelter for an embassy.

For all that we know, if we had done nothing, Saddam would be dead by now anyway. There were no wmds. He could have been managed.

And after all of this, we have no Bin Laden, and we find that there is a 50% chance of a chemical or nuclear terrorist attack in the near future.

Another attempt to throw dirt on Bush? What a terrible injustice!

 

[russ_watters]

Hard to say - none of that was in the OP!

In any case, I don't see any irony in your post either - just bitterness.

 

[BobG]

I wonder if they have the same warning sign as they do at the US Embassy in Istanbul, which basically indicates that one will be shot if one makes any sudden move.

From Thomas Freidmean - "The new consulate looks like a maximum security prison. All that's missing is a moat with alligators and a sign that says: ''Attention! You are now approaching a U.S. Consulate. Any sudden movement and you will be shot. All visitors welcome." "

You do realize he said "all that's missing". He didn't say there was a sign like that.

Although I do wonder if they have the standard "Use of deadly force authorized" sign that's so prevalent on just about any military facility. Interestingly, the US Embassy in Istanbul was the most expensive and most heavily fortified embassy prior to the Iraq embassy. It's not just Iraq; with terrorist attacks on any Western embassies more common*, all new embassies in the Middle East have extra protection.

In Turkey, alone, the British embassy was attacked in 2003 and the US Embassy in 2008.

The increased fortification of embassies is just one sign that terrorism works. Western nations can't exactly present a friendly appearance to the local populace if their embassies are forced to turn into protective fortifications. Terrorism also makes it a lot more difficult to even find State department officials willing to serve in the embassies.