WASHINGTON, April 22 (UPI) -- The State Department said Thursday the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad may have up to 1,700 employees, about 1,000 Americans and 700 Iraqis.
Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Marc Grossman told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee the embassy will be protected mainly by U.S. troops.
The United States plans to hand over power to a transitional Iraqi government on June 30, after which U.S. officials in Iraq will assume an advisory role, directing the new Iraqi government from the embassy.
Grossman said despite the security situation, there was no dearth of volunteers to work in Iraq and the State Department had no trouble finding volunteers for the 142 positions announced for the embassy.
State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher later said a closer estimate of the total strength of the embassy would become clearer as transfer date neared.
Grossman said embassy employees would initially live in trailers. He also said an early estimate that the embassy would have 3,000 U.S. employees was incorrect. He said 32 diplomatic security people were already in Baghdad, along with 51 armored vehicles and another 98 vehicles were on the way.
