World

150 U.S. embassies at risk

by julianw | June 23, 2008 at 10:18 am

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There are only 265 of them in the world, and a new study shows that 150 are at risk. Northern white Rhino? Mexican Spotted Owl? Nope: the endangered species in question is a U.S. embassy (genus: building).

A lack of appropriate security measures is putting 150 US overseas missions at risk of attack, according to state department documents.
The state department's long-range overseas building forecast, which was sent to Congress last week, shows that it would cost $8bn (£4.2bn) to replace or renovate the most vulnerable embassies.

Nearly all the facilities fail to meet at least some of the strict security requirements put in place after the 1998 east Africa bombings, officials said.

Those include setting buildings back from major roads and reinforcing walls and windows.

In many cases, embassies must also be relocated from the centres of capital cities to outlying areas, even suburbs.

Washington's 265 overseas posts are some of the US's highest profile targets with embassies in Bolivia, Chad and Serbia attacked or overrun this year. The US embassy in Iraq is under frequent threat from nearby rocket fire.
The drive for a security upgrade began following bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania 10 years ago. There were 231 people killed in the attacks, including 12 Americans. Vulnerability reviews were carried out following 9/11 and $4.1bn was invested in embassy and consulate construction.