Presidential Pride sunk in yacht attack (Saddam)

Belfast Telegraph ^ | 03-29-03

[veronica]

IN a huge blow to Saddam Hussein's pride, his vast presidential yacht is believed to have been sunk in a coalition air strike.

Typically, his yacht - the luxurious Al Mansur - was the largest ship in the Iraqi navy, despite having no military value whatsoever.

But following an attack by allied bombers on the port of Basra, Saddam's floating pride and joy is now understood to be partially submerged.

Also destroyed in the attack were virtually the entire remnants of the Iraq navy, with two large patrol boats and a supply ship left shattered on the bed of the Shatt Al Arab river.

With at least one other Iraqi patrol boat already sunk in the Persian Gulf, and six patrol boats under allied control at the port of Umm Qasr, Saddam now has no effective maritime force.

Captain Michael Cochrane, commander of HMS Chatham, was informed of the blow to Saddam's pride yesterday.

Captain Cochrane said: "It is reported that the remainder of Saddam Hussein's navy alongside in Basra has now been destroyed.

"There are reliable reports indicating that in a blow to Saddam's pride, the huge presidential yacht is among the ships sunk."

The Al Mansur bore more of a resemblance to a cross-Channel ferry than a private yacht, reaching up to 400 feet in length, towering eight decks high, and with a large helicopter pad at its rear.

Sumptuously decorated inside, it boasted a huge glass-domed atrium at its centre, making it totally unfitted for warfare - even in emergency.

[2timothy3.16]

he he he ha!!!!!

[I still care]

I still think we should have captured it and sold it on ebay. That would have been so much more "American". :)

[drstevej]

Now that's worth paying taxes for!

[Andy from Beaverton]

[merrin]

It's spelled "Presidential Yacht," but it's pronounced "Coral Reef."

[EggsAckley]

I think Saddam's boat is sunk in more than one way.

[KriegerGeist]

I hope we find where that ship-launched missile that hit that Kuwait shopping mall came from. Some ship or ships out there are either trying these things out to see how well they'll work on Kuwait, or they are trying therm out before they set sail for the U.S.

I sure hope not.

[dstarr]

That looks for all the world like the "Minnow".

[Nick Danger]

The Al Mansur bore more of a resemblance to a cross-Channel ferry than a private yacht, reaching up to 400 feet in length, towering eight decks high, and with a large helicopter pad at its rear.

I can't tell... this may or may not be the same boat. It is a cross-Channel ferry named "Al Mansur", obviously not owned by Saddam Hussein at the time this picture was taken. But I can't find out how old this picture is, and it's possible that this craft was sold to Iraq. I do not know for sure. It does meet the description, though.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

I hope we find where that ship-launched missile that hit that Kuwait shopping mall came from

The Silkworm is NOT ship launched, it is ANTI-SHIP, land launched. Any anti-ship missile can be pressed into ground to ground service.

[IronJack]

Also destroyed in the attack were virtually the entire remnants of the Iraq navy

Not the DINGHY! Tell me they didn't get the DINGHY!!!

[harpo11]

speaking of the old sicko sadist Saddam, why the hell isn't he giving any press conferences? I'd just love to see him get the same snide and insolent treatment our brave CentCommer's are receiving from the spoiled brat press. but, then again perhaps they'd all end up acting like Dan Rather and make googly eyes at the old murderous thug barbaric dictator.

[vigilante2]

oh well!.

[paul in cape]

Thar' She Blows!

[nicmarlo]

thanks for the ping, Dog! This is so funny because Saddam is more concerned about this than any human being he's killed.

[xp38]

Anyone know if the President of the US still has an official yacht?

[dighton]

Lies, lies, lies. This was no yacht, but a baby milk tanker.

;-)

[husky ed]

It was on a 3 hour patrol.

To bad Shiek Gilligan was at the wheel.