1,000 US Marine commandoes to be deployed at American Embassy in Islamabad

[Salahadin]

1,000 US Marine commandoes to be deployed at American Embassy in Islamabad
Karachi News.Net
Thursday 6th August, 2009 (ANI)
Karachi, Aug 6 : US Marine commandoes numbering 1,000 will be deployed at American Embassy in Islamabad under massive expansion work which is nearing completion.

Pakistan's Foreign Office Spokesman Abdul Basit Khan has said that 1,000 US Marines will be coming to Pakistan to be deployed at US Mission.

He said that there was no restriction on the number of personnel that a foreign mission could station at its mission but it is done through mutual understanding.

The FO Spokesman stated on Wednesday while replying to a query relating to increase in the strength of the US personnel at Islamabad's mission, The Nation reported.

A former Pakistan diplomat had objected to the US plans to have a bigger presence in Pakistan in the pursuit of its strategic interests in the region.

Former Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmed Khan said that it is evident that America wants to remote control the region from Islamabad.

According to an estimate, Washington is planning to spend a whopping one billion dollars for revamping its main embassy building in Islamabad and increase the strength of its staff.

The Obama Administration is about to spend 405 million dollars for the reconstruction and refurbishment of the main embassy building and 111 million dollars for constructing a new complex for 330 personnel.

A further 197 million dollars would be spent for construction of a housing unit for about 250 personnel.

Not only this, the United States is also planning to give its consular buildings in Lahore and Peshawar a new look.

Experts believe that this is a clear cut strategy of the US to augment its presence and establish control over the region.


1,000 US Marine commandoes to be deployed at American Embassy in Islamabad

 

[Durran3]

That money being spent is absolutely insane!! are they building an embassy or what..something is not right here..spending almost HALF A BILLION dollars on an embassy? !! this article seems a little sketchy

 

[Vassnti]

http://www.defence.pk/forums/strate...-us-plans-bigger-presence-raise-eyebrows.html


350 Marines not 1000 by the end of the week it will probably be 10000 as Moron politicians and journalists compete to try and make a story of the US constructing a new embasy some sort of invasion.

Experts believe that this is a clear cut strategy of the US to augment its presence and establish control over the region.

Love that when you cant get any facts or actually be bothered to interview any one the alternative is just make some thing up and attribute it to an "expert" how on earth do 350 marines take over pakistan

 

[BATMAN]

Indians got this permissoin very early.
Exact number of indian commandos inside and out side indian embassy is not informed for reasons known only to Zardari bhutto.

Imagine many thousand commandos from anti Pakistan states sitting in Islamabad!
Not even the worst of dictators in Pakistan's history would have approved it!

IMO, army head quarter must now be shifted at a new place... I see a coup against pak army in progress. We all remeber Zardari and Rehaman malik failed miserably in their last coup attempt.

 

[Thomas]

facts being quoted are suspect. from what I have read the marines will number 350 and even that number according to the US. embassy in Islamabad is not accurate. Also Marines do not use commandos as Embassy protection.

All the inaccuracies seem to be coming from Pakistan officials and newspapers. Which are then also quoted in Indian newspapers as well. My guess is there are those in Pakistan against the embassy expansion and trying to whip up support against it. though not sure how they would do it since permission has already been given.

"A spokesman for the US Embassy in Islamabad, Richard W Snelsire, told Asia Times Online that the US was "redoing" the embassy compound as it was 40 years old. He said this was also largely because US aid to Pakistan had tripled to US$1.5 billion a year and therefore additional staff were needed. Snelsire dismissed the report of armored vehicles being used at the embassy and also said the notion of 350 marines being stationed there was "fictitious".

 

[ejaz007]

Pak govt on board with US embassy expansion plan

* US official says no ‘dramatic’ increase in number of US Marines in Pakistan
* Says 18 acres acquired from CDA to expand present premises

By Sajjad Malik

ISLAMABAD: A US official on Wednesday said Islamabad was on board with Washington’s plan to rebuild its embassy in Pakistan and increase staff working in the country.

“Pakistani government is aware of the expansion plan, as we cannot bring in more staff without the support of the people here,” US Charge d’Affaires Gerald M Feierstein told a select group of reporters at the US embassy.

He said the US had increased annual development and non-development assistance to Pakistan manifold and the embassy needed more staff to monitor the use of the new funds.

“Economic assistance is going up from $400 million to $1.5 billion and similarly, there is a three-fold increase in security assistance, so we need more people and more accommodation facilities to help the government use the money,” he said.

Marines: He rejected the impression that the US intended to depute large numbers of Marines in the country. Feierstein said around 20 to 25 security officials were currently posted at the embassy and there would be no “dramatic” increase in their numbers. “But there will be several hundreds new staff members, including Pakistani and US nationals, roughly 50 percent more staff will be hired to run the new projects,” he said.

Feierstein said the US was looking at a long-term partnership with Pakistan, and though the Kerry-Lugar bill had been planned for the next five years, it could later be extended for another five years. The US envoy said Washington wanted to help Islamabad overcome its present challenges.

Land purchase: Feierstein said the existing embassy building was 40-year old and would be completely rebuilt and the US had purchased 18 acres of land to expand the premises.

He said the US had followed the legal procedure to buy land from the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

The diplomat said the total cost of the expansion project would be $1 million and it would be completed in five years.

When asked if he planned to take the country’s opposition parties into confidence over the embassy’s expansion, the diplomat said he had been in touch with all parties, including the Jamaat-e-Islami.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Gin ka Pakistan]

Capital Development Authority sold the land very cheap to US embassy as the land was gold mine, CDA could have got much much more for it.