This is a kind of sad testament to the modern world, isn't it:
'A moat 30 metres (100ft) wide and rolling parkland will separate the building from the main road, protecting it from would-be bombers and removing the need for the blast barriers that so dismayed the people of Mayfair.The State Department sought to play down the cost of security measures, noting the expense of London building work. But the price puts the London embassy above the USâ??s most fortified missions, including the Baghdad embassy, which cost $600 million (£390 million) but required a further $100 million of work on air conditioning, and the Islamabad embassy, still under construction, which has cost more than $850 million.
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No word on whether the moat will be populated with alligators (though it obviously should).
(AP Photo)