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| New US embassy opens in Baghdad | |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| The new US embassy in Baghdad has been opened, with a dedication ceremony attended by the Iraqi president. | |
| The compound is one of the biggest and most expensive embassies the US has ever built, and was opened amid heavy security in the Iraqi capital. | |
| On 1 January the US officially handed over responsibility for security in the fortified Green Zone to Iraqi forces. | |
| The US also gave back Saddam Hussein's palace there, which had been their headquarters in the city. | The US also gave back Saddam Hussein's palace there, which had been their headquarters in the city. |
| The new complex, which will house a total of 4,000 staff, has been built with security very much in mind, says the BBC's Caroline Wyatt in Baghdad. | |
| The opening ceremony was led by Ambassador Ryan Crocker and attended by US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. | |
| Mr Talabani thanked the US for helping to create a democratic Iraq "which will serve as a model for other peoples of the eastern world", Reuters news agency reported. | |
| US spokeswoman Susan Ziadeh said the new embassy reflected a broadening of relations between the US and Iraq as the security situation improved. | |
| "Its scale reflects the importance of the US-Iraq bilateral relationship," she said. "It reflects a more normal situation." | |
| 'Absolute priority' | 'Absolute priority' |
| The new year has opened with bloodshed in Iraq. | |
| Several bombs exploded in Baghdad on Monday, killing at least three people and wounding many others. | |
| The worst of 2009 so far, a suicide bombing on pilgrims gathering at one of the main Shia shrines in Baghdad killed up to 40 people last week. I am confident we will continue to manage this in a careful, organised fashion that has the Iraqis firmly in charge but in charge of a very firm security situation Ryan CrockerUS Ambassador to Iraq | |
| On Sunday, Ambassador Crocker strongly condemned the suicide bombing near the Imam Moussa al-Kadhim shrine, as well as a suicide attack on 2 January - the second against a meeting of Sunni and Shia tribal leaders just south of the city. | On Sunday, Ambassador Crocker strongly condemned the suicide bombing near the Imam Moussa al-Kadhim shrine, as well as a suicide attack on 2 January - the second against a meeting of Sunni and Shia tribal leaders just south of the city. |
| Mr Crocker said the recent attacks showed that despite great progress on security, al-Qaeda in Iraq remained a lethal and dangerous threat. | Mr Crocker said the recent attacks showed that despite great progress on security, al-Qaeda in Iraq remained a lethal and dangerous threat. |
| However, he said he was confident about Iraqi forces' abilities, as they take over wider responsibility for security in the country. | However, he said he was confident about Iraqi forces' abilities, as they take over wider responsibility for security in the country. |
| "They are as determined as we are that this necessary transition does not open up any vulnerabilities and that is an absolute priority for both of us," said Mr Crocker. | "They are as determined as we are that this necessary transition does not open up any vulnerabilities and that is an absolute priority for both of us," said Mr Crocker. |
| "So I am confident we will continue to manage this in a careful, organised fashion that has the Iraqis firmly in charge but in charge of a very firm security situation." | "So I am confident we will continue to manage this in a careful, organised fashion that has the Iraqis firmly in charge but in charge of a very firm security situation." |