US Opens Huge $796M Consulate in Irbil 12/04 06:05

   

   IRBIL, Iraq (AP) -- The United States inaugurated a massive new consulate 
compound Wednesday in Irbil, the capital of northern Iraq's semiautonomous 
Kurdish region.

   The move highlighted Washington's diplomatic and strategic engagement in the 
Kurdish region, particularly as the U.S. moves troops that had been stationed 
elsewhere in Iraq as part of a mission against the Islamic State group, under 
an agreement with the central government in Baghdad.

   U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Michael Rigas joined Kurdish leaders for the 
inauguration of the sprawling complex -- planned as the largest U.S. consulate 
in the world -- built on a 206,000-square-meter (50-acre) site along the 
Irbil--Shaqlawa highway at a cost of $796 million.

   "America's investment in this new consulate provides a secure platform to 
advance the interests of the United States," Rigas said. "It demonstrates the 
value that a sovereign, secure and prosperous Iraq, in mutually beneficial 
partnership with the United States can deliver for its own people and for 
America."

   The opening comes amid ongoing challenges in Iraq, including regional 
tensions and attacks on energy infrastructure. A drone strike last week on the 
Kormor natural gas field caused widespread power outages.

   No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Rigas appeared to 
cast blame on Iraq's politically powerful Iran-backed militias.

   He urged both Baghdad and Irbil to "disempower and dismantle Iran-aligned 
militias that continue to engage in violent and destabilizing activities and 
only serve to harm Iraqi sovereignty."

   Kurdish regional President Nechirvan Barzani referred to the consulate as a 
"clear political message regarding the importance of Irbil and the Kurdistan 
region."

   He said the facility underscores the deep partnership between the U.S. and 
the Kurdish authorities and will serve as a hub for diplomatic, economic and 
security cooperation.