Monday, November 3, 2014

OBO Announces Three New Fortress Embassies Under Contract

U.S. Consulate Dhahran, State Dept. photo













The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) announced last week that it has signed contracts for three more "safe, secure, and functional facilities," AKA Fortress Embassies.

The lucky posts are U.S. Consulate Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, U.S. Embassy Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, and U.S. Embassy Pristina, Kosovo. The OBO press releases are here, and here, and here.

That's Consulate Dhahran in the photo above. It's high time that one was replaced, I say. Do you notice the fine Old World craftsmanship of those stone walls? That's because they were constructed in 1949 using Italian Prisoners of War for laborers. True story. Embassy Baghdad wasn't the first time forced labor was used in diplomatic construction.


10 comments:

James said...

Looks like roadside rest stop on I35 just south of San Antonio.

TSB said...

James: But you have to put it in the context of Saudi Arabia in the 1940s, where an I-35 rest stop was high-end architecture.

Anonymous said...

James: That must be a heck of a rest stop. I don't remember any palm trees on I-35. gwb

Anonymous said...

TSB: Just signed up for Independent for 99c for a second month. Just cancelled before the 1st month was up, waited til day after and they gave me a new month for 99c with the original account. They must be desperados! gwb

James said...

GWB: Might have been Corpus Christi.
TSB: There's gonna be a run on sackcloth and ashes in DC.

Anonymous said...

TSB: My favorite pundit yesterday was Chris Matthews...refusing to focus on the past or the present he has 5 clear plans on how Obama and the Dems can triumph from this in the future! gwb

TSB said...

Some are in sackcloth and ashes, but others are wearing party hats and blowing those New Years Eve horns.

James said...

I come from a long line of masons.
My Dad was always impressed with the cut stone work of the Old World, but he said considering that some projects (cathedrals etc) lasted long enough for five generations to work on "Someones going to eventually get it right".

TSB said...

James: That's an excellent point. The famous cathedral in Milan was, what, a few centuries in the making. It might not be finished yet. After that much time, it ought to be perfect.

James said...

" The famous cathedral in Milan was, what, a few centuries in the making. It might not be finished yet".
I bet the owner's meeting are doozys. Entire blizzards of RFI"s and RFP's.