Drawings of new US embassy in Iraq removed from Web

WASHINGTON, June 1 (Reuters) A US architectural firm posted drawings of the new US embassy being built in Baghdad on its Web site but removed them when US officials complained they might endanger Americans, a US official said today.

The drawings included preliminary depictions of the grounds and some buildings in the vast complex, including residences for the US ambassador, his deputy and Marine guards at what will be one of the largest and most expensive US embassies in the world, the official said.

It was not clear when Kansas City, Missouri-based Berger Devine Yaeger Inc placed the drawings on its Web site but the official said he believed they were removed yesterday.

An employee at the firm declined to comment on the matter and referred calls to the State Department.

''We work really hard to protect our officials and employees overseas. It's best not to have that kind of information out in the public domain,'' said the US official, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The official called the drawings preliminary and said they did not show exactly what was being built at the new compound, which is in the ''Green Zone'' in Baghdad that houses the existing US embassy and top Iraqi officials.

''These were preliminary sketches from some years ago,'' said another US official.

While the heavily fortified ''Green Zone'' is largely spared from violence that plagues other parts of Baghdad, it is routinely subject to mortar attacks.

The Bush administration initially sought 1.3 billion dollars for the new embassy but Congress has approved 592 million dollars and lawmakers have questioned the cost and size of the complex.

REUTERS AM RN2246