July 4, 2003	Friday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 3,1424

WASHINGTON, July 3: The United States has postponed plans to open a temporary embassy in Iraq and transferred 20 millions dollars for the project to pay for Middle East peace efforts, State Department officials said Thursday.

The officials said the money requested earlier this year to set up an embassy at a Baghdad hotel was instead being used to fund the US team monitoring progress in the implementation of the roadmap for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Washington decided on the switch several weeks ago after deciding that a functioning Iraqi government to which US diplomats would be accredited was unlikely to be formed before October, when the money requested for the temporary embassy had to be spent, the officials said.

“It became clear that no government will be in place before October when the fiscal year ends, so there was no real reason to open an embassy right now,” one official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“Given that, we notified Congress that we were going to use to the money to pay for Ambassador Wolf’s mission,” the official said, referring to John Wolf the US diplomat leading the 12-18 strong roadmap monitoring team.

A second official said the decision to delay opening an embassy was unrelated to the unstable security in Iraq, where Saddam Hussein loyalists mount daily attacks on US troops patrolling Baghdad and other areas.

However, the official did allow that the uncertain conditions might have an impact on the facility if it prevents the establishment of a new Iraqi government.

“This has to do with a new government coming into power and our need to have an embassy that can handle relations with that government,” the official said.

“But I suppose to the extent that security plays a role in getting that government off the ground, it could affect the timing of us opening an embassy.”

In March, President George W. Bush asked Congress for 20 million dollars to rent, refurbish and secure a hotel to serve as the temporary embassy that officials said at the time they expected to be up and running shortly after Saddam was ousted. —AFP