$400K Camel Statue in Pakistan-Truth!
Summary of eRumor:
A story has gone viral alleging that the Obama administration plans to spend $400,000 in U.S. taxpayer dollars on a plastic camel statue in Pakistan. .
The Truth:
The gist of the story is true. The camel sculpture is a real art piece, and the U.S. Department of State intends to utilize tax dollars to purchase it for $400,000.
The camel art piece is being purchased for a new U.S. Embassy being built in Islamabad, Pakistan, according to buzzfeed.com.
According to a document written by the U.S. Department of State that was obtained by buzzfeed.com, the justification for the “sole source” procurement of the art piece stated, “This artist’s product is uniquely qualified. Public art which will be presented in the new embassy should reflect the values of a predominantly Islamist country”.
One version of the rumor states that the sculpture is made of plastic, which is incorrect. The sculpture is comprised of fiberglass, aluminum, stainless steel and acrylic, according to the U.S. Department of State document.
Posted 04/02/14