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US eases security rules for diplomats in Baghdad

By MATTHEW LEE,Associated Press Writer AP - Thursday, April 17

WASHINGTON - The State Department is easing security restrictions on diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad that were imposed during a recent spate of rocket attacks in the Green Zone that killed four Americans.

Embassy employees were told in a Wednesday notice obtained by The Associated Press that they are no longer required to wear body armor, helmets and protective eyewear while outside and that restrictions on movement inside the Green Zone have been lifted. The rules were introduced last month amid an increase in insurgent rocket fire.

"Previously it had been mandatory for all personnel under the authority of the Chief of Mission to wear body armor, helmet and protective eyewear when outside. This is no longer necessary," it said, adding, however, that employees should keep such equipment "readily available in living quarters."

"Limitations regarding movement outside of hardened structures have also been lifted for Chief of Mission employees," it said. "Chief of Mission employees" are staffers who report to the U.S. ambassador and his deputy.

The changes were announced after a decline in incoming fire, although two more rockets landed in the Green Zone on Wednesday. It was not immediately known if they caused any damage or injuries.

Earlier Green Zone attacks, which picked up in late March, claimed the lives of two U.S. soldiers and two U.S. civilians and prompted the State Department to introduce the new rules, which included a requirement that staff sleep in fortified locations like the temporary embassy at a Saddam Hussein-era palace.

Space limitations at the palace had forced some diplomats to sleep at the new, heavily fortified U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad, which is also in the Green Zone. Facilities there had not been formally certified for occupancy until this week, although officials said it had been deemed safe for overnight stays.

The State Department signed off on the occupancy certification and took legal possession of the new compound on Monday, a step that had been delayed for months due to construction problems.

U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker said last week that he expected diplomats to begin moving into the new embassy on a permanent basis at the end of May or early June.

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On the Net:

State Department: http://www.state.gov

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