Hello again from Funkytown!
Those two guys work with me - they joined me on this little trip.
The big scene here is As-Salaam Palace - located on the site of the former Republican Guard Headquarters, which was destroyed in Operation Desert Storm.
One of the busts was dismantled and shipped to an Army post in the United States.
Lets continue our tour by taking a look at one of the forward operating bases (FOBs) here in the Green Zone:
FOB Prosperity
Those two guys work with me - they joined me on this little trip.
The big scene here is As-Salaam Palace - located on the site of the former Republican Guard Headquarters, which was destroyed in Operation Desert Storm.
"The 814,000- square meter complex included orchards (orange, lime, date
and other fruit trees), a series of artificial pools, lakes, and ponds, outdoor
patios with freestanding hearths, and related out-buildings. The United States
attacked the palace by air in 2003, hitting it with seven guided bombs. The
evidence of those strikes is readily apparent today in the ravaged dome and
upper floors. "
The hallways and rooms of the main building are a maze of plywood boards dividing the large palace interiors into living quarters, offices, storage spaces and a gym. Here's a picture of the gym - it's situated in one of the old ballrooms.
This stone mural was a little freaky. I know it's hard to make out so I'll describe it: At the top center is a bomb with "U.S." inscribed on it. At the bottom center is a huge flame. Between the two are little children who are apparently dismembered and/or burned. Parents on the lower right and left trying to pull them out. Angels on the upper left and right. It definitely catches your attention.
One of the camp’s lesser-known claims to fame is that one of parking lots is also the temporary resting place of some of the “Big Giant Saddam heads” that once graced the top of the nearby palace. Three of the colossal busts showing Saddam in a military uniform and wearing a replica of the golden dome of Jerusalem as a helmet stand in a row in a dusty field surrounded by tanks.
One of the camp’s lesser-known claims to fame is that one of parking lots is also the temporary resting place of some of the “Big Giant Saddam heads” that once graced the top of the nearby palace. Three of the colossal busts showing Saddam in a military uniform and wearing a replica of the golden dome of Jerusalem as a helmet stand in a row in a dusty field surrounded by tanks.
One of the busts was dismantled and shipped to an Army post in the United States.
That's all for now! More to come soon!
1 comment:
Looks like an interesting place!
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