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[webfact]

Tillerson hopes to visit controversial new U.S. London embassy next week

By David Brunnstrom

 

FILE PHOTO - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaks at a news conference during the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Security and Stability on the Korean Peninsula in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, January 16, 2018. REUTERS/Ben Nelms/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said he hopes to visit the controversial new U.S. embassy during a trip to London next week, but the State Department said it had not been decided whether he would formally open the building.

 

U.S. President Donald Trump canceled a trip to London to open the embassy scheduled for next month, saying he did not want to endorse a bad deal agreed by the Obama administration to sell the old one for "peanuts."

 

Speaking to reporters while flying back to Washington from a trip to the North American west coast on Wednesday, Tillerson did not respond when asked if he would formally open the controversial building, but said he hoped to go there.

 

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a news briefing on Thursday no "ribbon-cutting ceremony" by Tillerson was currently scheduled during his Jan. 21-23 London visit.

 

While the deal on the sale of the old embassy site was concluded under President Barack Obama, the decision to move from Grosvenor Square in up-market Mayfair to the south bank of the Thames was agreed in 2008 under Republican President George W. Bush.

 

Nauert said the new embassy opened this week and the bulk of staff had moved from the old building.

 

Trump addressed the controversy again at the end of a wide-ranging interview with Reuters on Wednesday, complaining that the new building "came out tremendously over budget."

 

"So now we have an embassy that cost $1.2 billion, I think it was much more than that ... in the wrong location."

 

"Just so you understand, it started in the Bush term, but the deal was made in the Obama term and the deal was built in the Obama term," Trump said.

 

Asked whether he would go to Britain this year, Trump said, "they've invited me," but didn't elaborate. He said his relationship with Britain was "very good."

 

Asked if he agreed with Trump that the embassy move had been a mistake, Tillerson said: "That’s a decision that’s already been taken, so I don’t think we need to revisit it."

 

The cancellation of Trump's trip was a further blow to relations between Britain and the United States, for long the closest of allies. More than a year into his presidency, Trump has yet to visit London, with many Britons vowing to protest against a man they see as crude, volatile and opposed to their values on a range of issues.

 

Tillerson rejected the suggestion that Trump might see Britain as less useful now that it was embroiled in Brexit and other political issues.

 

"No, not at all," he said. "I mean, we still have the special relationship with the British people. As you know, President Trump was supportive of the UK’s exit from the EU. He still thinks that was the right decision for them.

 

"Britain needs to focus on those Brexit negotiations right now, which is really important to them, and I think the president realizes that’s where Prime Minister May really needs to focus her attention."

 

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Andrea Ricci and James Dalgleish)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-01-19

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, webfact said:

The cancellation of Trump's trip was a further blow to relations between Britain and the United States, for long the closest of allies. More than a year into his presidency, Trump has yet to visit London, with many Britons vowing to protest against a man they see as crude, volatile and opposed to their values on a range of issues.

This is just too funny. Trump is afraid to visit USA's closest ally.

 

 

[mike324]

Trump taking any opportunity to bash Obama. If he had only done his research, the old embassy could not be upgraded to provide the security they need. So they sold it for a handsome profit, which was more than enough to pay for construction of a new one. So  Trumps puts more importance of location of embassy over the safety of US citizens? 

[Langsuan Man]

10 hours ago, mike324 said:

Trump taking any opportunity to bash Obama. If he had only done his research

You can't do research if you don't read anything but since he is such a very stable genius he knows everything already

Edited January 19, 2018 by metisdead
Please do not modify someone else's post in your quoted reply, either with font or color changes or wording.

[Srikcir]

If Tillerson formally opens the embassy, will he too denigrate the new embassy like Trump.

Or cross Trump and cite its advantages and improved character?

While the embassy is the most expensive US embassy in the world, it was entirely self-financed by sale of government properties in Britain. But pointing out such good governance under the Bush/Obama administrations won't get Tillerson and gold stars from Trump.

 

[dunroaming]

1 minute ago, Srikcir said:

If Tillerson formally opens the embassy, will he too denigrate the new embassy like Trump.

Or cross Trump and cite its advantages and improved character?

While the embassy is the most expensive US embassy in the world, it was entirely self-financed by sale of government properties in Britain. But pointing out such good governance under the Bush/Obama administrations won't get Tillerson and gold stars from Trump.

 

I'm OK with Tillerson coming.  After all he did call Trump a moron so is obviously on the same page as all of us in the UK.  

[Enoon]

9 hours ago, mike324 said:

Trump taking any opportunity to bash Obama. If he had only done his research, the old embassy could not be upgraded to provide the security they need. So they sold it for a handsome profit, which was more than enough to pay for construction of a new one. So  Trumps puts more importance of location of embassy over the safety of US citizens? 

 

It was G W Bush who decided to move the embassy.

 

It was sold cheaper (possibly) because it is Grade 2 listed (making it difficult for an owner to modify it) and consequently less "desirable" to potential buyers :

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42663977

 

 

[rudi49jr]

2 hours ago, dunroaming said:

I'm OK with Tillerson coming.  After all he did call Trump a moron so is obviously on the same page as all of us in the UK.  

Actually, Tillerson called Trump a <deleted> moron. Off the top of my head, I can't think of anyone who deserves to be called that more than Trump.

[Trouble]

Whether the New Embassy was financed with the sale of other properties or not, 1.2 Billion dollars on property and a building to house an Embassy is ludicrous.  Government spending knows no bounds. 

[chickenslegs]

2 minutes ago, Trouble said:

Whether the New Embassy was financed with the sale of other properties or not, 1.2 Billion dollars on property and a building to house an Embassy is ludicrous.  Government spending knows no bounds. 

I'd guess that most of that is due to the physical and technological security systems that are necessary in the post 9/11 world - especially for anything or anyone connected with the US.

 

Only half the price of a B-2 bomber though.

[mike324]

13 hours ago, Enoon said:

 

It was G W Bush who decided to move the embassy.

 

It was sold cheaper (possibly) because it is Grade 2 listed (making it difficult for an owner to modify it) and consequently less "desirable" to potential buyers :

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42663977

 

 

I don't think it matters who made the decision, it started with Bush but plans finalized under Obama. The main point is security of US citizens which was the correct decision.

 

It was most possibly not sold cheaper as the buyer wanted the property to turn into a hotel. So for this Gulf investor, it certainly is more attractive to retain the old look and willing to pay more for it. Reports of the value was around 300 million pounds but some sources said it was sold for 500 million pounds.

[Srikcir]

20 minutes ago, mike324 said:

Reports of the value was around 300 million pounds but some sources said it was sold for 500 million pounds.

The current embassy building has been sold to Qatari Diar — the property development arm of the Qatari royal family — for an estimated £500 million.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/revealed-londons-3-billion-embassy-sell-off-bonanza-8778086.html

New embassy Funded purely from selling US Government properties in London.  Trump’s own ambassador to Britain, Woody Johnson, had only last month described the building as a “signal to the world” that the U.S. and U.K.’s “special relationship” is stronger than ever.

http://www.newsweek.com/new-us-embassy-trump-hates-everyone-else-likes-779288?utm_source=email&utm_medium=morning_brief&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_content=read_more&spMailingID=2777742&spUserID=MzQ4OTU2MjIxMzAS1&spJobID=950556231&spReportId=OTUwNTU2MjMxS0