New US embassy opens in Baghdad

The new US embassy in Baghdad has been opened, with a dedication ceremony attended by the Iraqi president.

The compound is one of the biggest and most expensive embassies the US has ever built, and was opened amid heavy security in the Iraqi capital.

On 1 January the US officially handed over responsibility for security in the fortified Green Zone to Iraqi forces.

The US also gave back Saddam Hussein's palace there, which had been their headquarters in the city.

The new complex, which will house a total of 4,000 staff, has been built with security very much in mind, says the BBC's Caroline Wyatt in Baghdad.

The opening ceremony was led by Ambassador Ryan Crocker and attended by US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.

Mr Talabani thanked the US for helping to create a democratic Iraq "which will serve as a model for other peoples of the eastern world", Reuters news agency reported.

US spokeswoman Susan Ziadeh said the new embassy reflected a broadening of relations between the US and Iraq as the security situation improved.

"Its scale reflects the importance of the US-Iraq bilateral relationship," she said. "It reflects a more normal situation."
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7813215.stm