The New Year

It's been a rough start to the New Year. Many more deaths, fighting, kidnappings... etc. Business is brisk in my compound. Despite this I managed to get out again for a couple of hours. This wasn't a mission so the only thing I was armed with was a camera.


Saddam had many palaces including this building which was designed to be a fake. Hoping his enemies would target this building Saddam built it, furnished it and even held functions within it so that it appeared to be one of his homes. Although a fake it ironically sat above a very secure emergency bunker.



In 2003 we attacked Baghdad using, among other weapons, 500 and 1000 lb JDAM munition systems. Here is the interior of the palace above after one such strike.








Another shot of Saddam's "fake" palace. This is the center of the palace under the central dome.









Although this shot looks like it was taken outside it is actually one of the main corridor's inside the palace. When it was hit with bombs the ceiling was destroyed.






Again we're inside the palace yet exposed to the elements because most of the roof is gone. In the picture we see Dan (sitting - he works for me), Capt Murray (we work together) and a female reporter.