$1.5 billion for a U.S. embassy in Iraq????

I'm sure I've mentioned before that I work for a Fortune 250 company that counts among its diverse operations one of the largest construction firms in the world. I won't be specific about the many national landmarks that we've erected over the years, but I will say that as Director of Corporate Marketing I have a credible knowledge base about construction projects that allows me to SCREAM BLOODY MURDER at the idea of spending $1.5 BILLION for an embassy in Iraq. What the Sam Hill are we contemplating building? The dadgum Library of Congress didn't cost a fraction of that amount; not even the entire Orlando International Airport cost so much! We could build a world-class embassy for around $100 million, and THAT would be excessively luxurious for an embassy in IRAQ. My company has constructed world-class resorts for a fifth of the $1.5 billion estimate being bandied about. In fact, the World Trade Center cost about the same $1.5 billion.

Now what, exactly, are we talking about here?

I suspect we're talking about huge graft and corruption costs -- I want to see, immediately, who is the contractor for this job. No reputable American construction firm would give such an estimate unless there were such huge security problems and attendant costs that the job shouldn't be performed in the first place.