Saddam's Hometown Palace to Transfer to Iraqis (The Citizenry Claim Their Rightfull Property)

American Forces Press Service ^ | Nov 21, 2005 | Donna Miles

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2005 – In what's being regarded as a highly symbolic development in Iraq, coalition forces will turn over former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's palace in Tikrit to the new Iraqi government during Nov. 22 ceremonies. The sprawling palace complex in Saddam's hometown, 90 miles north of Baghdad, is the largest and most elaborate of his presidential sites, a senior military official in Iraq said today on background.

The U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division initially secured the complex in 2003, dubbing it Camp Iron Horse. The camp served as the division's headquarters when its members captured Saddam in December 2003, explained Army Lt. Col. Barry Venable, a Pentagon spokesman.

The 1st Infantry Division renamed the camp Forward Operating Base Danger when it assumed authority for the camp in 2004.

Venable said the Nov. 22 ceremonies mark far more than the turnover of a single, albeit significant, property. The camp is the 29th of 110 forward operating bases to be either transferred to the Iraqis or closed, he said. Iraqi security forces are using 15 of the bases.

"These transitions, taken individually, don't appear significant," Venable said. "But in a collective sense, they show evidence that progress is being made in handing over responsibility for Iraq to the Iraqis."

Venable called this a cornerstone of the campaign plan to successfully complete the mission in Iraq.

The transfers help dispel any misperceptions that the situation in Iraq remains static, Venable said.

"In reality, the opposite is true," he said. "Aside from transferring bases to Iraqi security forces and the Iraqi people, we're also in the process of handing over security responsibility to Iraqi forces."

Today, one Iraqi division, five brigades and 36 battalions have taken the lead in their areas, compared to one brigade and 11 battalions just five months ago, Venable said. Iraqis now have the lead in roughly 90 square miles of Baghdad, an entire Iraqi province and more than 450 square miles in other provinces, he said.

The 42nd Infantry Division assumed control of the base in February 2005 and began the process of returning the complex to the Iraqis in July. The Nov. 22 ceremony marks the end of that process, Venable said.

Once reserved for the Saddam regime's elite, the complex will now benefit all Iraqis, as it is transferred to Iraq's Ministry of Finance, the official in Iraq said today. He called the transfer a landmark event that showcases the Iraqi government's sovereignty and the increasing ability of Iraq's security forces to ensure their country's security.

"We are committed to turning this property over to the Iraqi government as the Iraqi security forces prove their readiness for us to consolidate our forces, reduce our footprint, and in many cases, deliberately get a bit farther outside of cities, because we think that's beneficial for us to do that," the official said.

The sprawling complex stretches over 1,000 acres of land on the banks of the Tigris River, and includes 136 buildings with 1.5 million square feet of administrative and living space and 40 support structures, Venable said. It also includes 14 palace structures, a three-story hospital, a small crematorium, two mosques, an unused mausoleum and two artificial lakes.

Iraq's Ministry of Defense is using the island portion of the complex as a regional training center, Venable said.

[SandRat]

He ain't gonna steal no-mo no-more, he ain't gonna steal no-more....

[SandRat]

This is good news that you won't hear anywhere else but on FR.

[Calpernia]

In what's being regarded as a highly symbolic development in Iraq, coalition forces will turn over former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's palace in Tikrit to the new Iraqi government during Nov. 22 ceremonies. The sprawling palace complex in Saddam's hometown, 90 miles north of Baghdad, is the largest and most elaborate of his presidential sites, a senior military official in Iraq said today on background.

The U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division initially secured the complex in 2003, dubbing it Camp Iron Horse. The camp served as the division's headquarters when its members captured Saddam in December 2003, explained Army Lt. Col. Barry Venable, a Pentagon spokesman.

The 1st Infantry Division renamed the camp Forward Operating Base Danger when it assumed authority for the camp in 2004.

[Calpernia]

ping

[Calpernia]

ping

[Calpernia]

ping

[Calpernia]

Remember when????

Caption This! (US Soldiers Relax in Saddam's Palace)
Yahoo ^ | Apr. 7, 2003

Posted on 04/08/2003 8:22:47 AM EDT by Alouette

[twoputt]

Maybe they can turn it into a Holiday Inn.

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

Recalling the dictator's statue being pulled over,

perhaps one of our resident lyricists can come up some words to:

"Hail To The Toppled Chief"

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[eastsider]

Before I left for work this morning, I heard on the radio that a couple of mortar rounds were fired in the vicinity just as everyone was assembled, but they landed somewhere else without exploding. According to the report, the Iraqis scrambled for cover as they whizzed overhead, but the U.S. troops in attendance realized immediately that the palace area was not in danger and were much "cooler" about the whole thing.

[SandRat]

Experience and training enabled them to determine the address of the incoming A** W*** Mail was somewhere else; so no sweat.

[Mrs. Darla Ruth Schwerin]

"Maybe they can turn it into a Holiday Inn."

Yes. Or maybe just demolish the whole thing and let the land lay waste(as a token for Mr. Hussein). Don't give any insurgent an excuse to cause an uprising.