Neighbors in German Capital in Uproar over Iraqi Building

Berliners of the Dahlem district have already filed “not-in-my-backyard” legal complaints against an allegedly self-proclaimed new Iraqi embassy.  Many fear that creating the equivalent of a new embassy for such a politically sensitive country in the posh neighborhood of Dahlem will increase violence in the area and drive up real estate prices.  The full article can be read here.

Although spokesperson for the Iraqi embassy, Amir Musawy, claims that the newly purchased building may be used for other diplomatic purposes, such as housing Iraqi ambassadors, in due time the building will most likely become a new embassy, especially since the existing Iraqi Embassy has been described as “old and rotten.”  Whether the existence of this new embassy will increase violence is yet to be determined.  Armed guards will be posted around the building in an effort to dissuade attackers, but overall the residents of the Dahlem district will simply have to adapt to the new circumstances.