Episode 361 • • 2:17:01 - 2:21:14
361: The Fact of the Bladder
US Embassy in Baghdad and Private Contractors
The US Embassy in Baghdad is described as the world's largest diplomatic mission, roughly the size of the Vatican. As the military withdraws, the State Department is hiring 5,000 private security contractors and maintaining its own air force to protect 16,000 personnel. Peter Van Buren argues this represents a continued civilian occupation of Iraq rather than a true end to the war.