There’s no shortage of problems in constructing the new, 21-building U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. For starters, the lead contractor on the project, First Kuwaiti General Trade and Contracting, is under investigation by the Justice Department for potential use of coerced labor. (A State Department Inspector-General’s report found no evidence of such wrongdoing (pdf).) If true, then coerced labor hardly translates into quality performance. Today’s Washington Post reports that First Kuwaiti’s construction of a facility to house embassy guards — private contractors themselves — is pretty shoddy, with melted wiring, emission of toxic fumes within the building and leaking fuel. An opaque organizational structure from First Kuwaiti has hindered embassy officials’ ability to bring their concerns to a sole, responsible manager. And if that wasn’t enough, the State Department’s Overseas Building Operations is hitting back at allegations against First Kuwaiti, claiming that they’re a fig leaf for KBR to horn in on First Kuwaiti’s $592 million contract.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=180462