Safety concerns at U.S. embassy in Iraq-newspaper

WASHINGTON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - The newly-constructed U.S. embassy in Iraq has potentially deadly problems with its fire safety system and other parts of the compound have never been inspected, The Washington Post reported on Saturday.

Quoting State Department documents and anonymous officials, the newspaper said U.S. officials dismissed worries about the fire system in order to claim that construction was mostly completed by the end of last year.

"This is serious enough to get someone killed," the newspaper quoted a State Department official. The electrical system, power plant and other parts of the embassy have not been inspected, the official said.

The new complex would be one of the largest and most expensive U.S. embassies in the world. It has been plagued by delays and cost overruns.

The Washington Post quoted Patrick Kennedy, Under Secretary of State for Management, saying he was aware of fire safety concerns and that the embassy will not be considered finished until he signs a certificate of occupancy. He said the fire system "as installed, did not meet specifications."
Reuters