World's largest embassy to be slashed by two-thirds

The US mission in Iraq - the biggest in the world - will slash its numbers by two-thirds by the end of this year from its peak figure of over 16,000, the American ambassador to Baghdad said. Overall staffing levels at the US's embassy in Baghdad and its consulates in the southern port city of Basra, the Kurdish regional capital of Arbil and the disputed northern city of Kirkuk, will drop to around 5,500, including contractors, by the end of the year.
"A year ago, we were well above 16,000, now we're at 10,500," Ambassador Stephen Beecroft told reporters. "By the end of this year, we'll be at 5,500, including contractors." "The diplomatic presence is down below a thousand."