Inside the U.S. Embassy in Iraq Under Threat
June 16, 2014
Outside the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, the city is gearing up to fend off the militant Sunni group ISIS, enlisting volunteers to help protect Baghdad from attack. Inside the embassy’s Baghdad compound, U.S. employees are waiting for the arrival of 100 U.S. Marines and army troops to help bolster security in case the capital falls to ISIS’ fighters.
The threat of an ISIS attack prompted the evacuation of a significant number of employees, as well as the addition of 50 security personnel this week, State Department officials said. In addition, the warship USS Mesa Verde has been ordered into the Persian Gulf along with three other ships. The Mesa Verde has about five Osprey planes that can take off and land like a helicopter and fly like a plane. Ospreys have been used in other embassy evacuations.