Iran Talks Finale in Vienna: $225K for Hotels and Vehicles (before deadline extension)

The Weekly Standard ^ | JERYL BIER

[Dave346]

The Iran nuclear talks deadline was recently extended for a week until July 7 according to the Associated Press. This extension could conceivably raise the already enormous financial cost of the diplomatic home-stretch effort even higher. Even before the extension was granted, contracts for vehicles and hotels in Vienna for Secretary of State John Kerry and US diplomats totaled $224,503.

The first contract posted is for vehicles and drivers required for the stay with ABC V.I.P. Sightseeing in Austria for $93,394:

The second is for hotel rooms for Kerry's delegation in the Hotel Imperial in Vienna for $131,109:

Few details are available about the number of rooms or exact length of stay planned. According to the State Department, Kerry has been in Vienna since Friday, June 26, and his public schedule lists no immediate plans to leave.

[Jim from C-Town]

Couldn't they simply rent a car from Hertz for this nitwit? Wouldn't be cheaper to send a couple vehicles in the old of the plane along with the plane and let one of his many hangers on drive? Must we constantly cater to these people as if they where royalty?