Saddam's Palace Has No Homey Ambiance

AP | 4/07/03 | CHRIS TOMLINSON

[Thinkin' Gal]

>>>The main building, of sand-colored brick, is topped with a dome of blue-and-gold ceramic tile, now covered with cement dust. There are two huge holes in the roof and the front of the building from U.S. cruise missiles or laser-guided bombs in the past; the blasts knocked off the facade, collapsed floors and scorched walls.

Where fire had not destroyed the interior, plaster trimming and false ceiling had collapsed. Shards of hundreds of glass chandeliers and mirrors lay on the ground, crunching under the boots of American soldiers.

On the top floor, there once was an indoor pool, with windows looking out on three sides of the building. What was left of an elaborate, mosaic ceiling littered what was left of the bottom of the pool - the water drained into basement and first floors, which were flooded.

Much of the building seemed like an empty hotel, never occupied. <<<

Wow, remember that dream? Who's going to be in charge of the renovation?!

[arielb]

This is a job for Trading Spaces!

[rs79bm]

Aren't there military rules against looting?

News to me. If there are, I'd like to see them. Afterall, we're in a freakin' war here.

[rs79bm]

"This troubles me."

[riri]

ahhhh. Men with testosterone.

My husband and I (well, mainly me, I force him to play along with me) play a game, we rate the testosterone levels of men on a scale from one to ten. It's a crack up. Generally, we never find anyone we give higher than a 6.

My husband asked me, "Well, who would you consider a ten?" I said the Marlboro man. LOL.

The other night on FOX news they had some general on. He was a cross between Popeye and MacArthur. We both looked a each other and said "Fianlly, a ten!"

[Mr. Jeeves]

Saddam's Palace Has No Homey Ambiance

Weapons storage facilities seldom do.

[Savage Beast]

The homes of psychopaths tend to be devoid of human warmth and ambiance. They seem to see little difference between plastic plants and living ones, between cold concrete and things that speak of chi and humanity.

[AnAmericanMother]

I think the "house rules" have always been that you don't take stuff from private citizens (that IS looting) but "liberating" souvenirs from the military, especially abandoned stuff, is AOK. That's where all those German helmets and SS daggers and Lugers in attics all across America came from. Of course, some folks do resort to private enterprise:

"Luger, $100 ... camera, $150 ... Iron Cross, $12 ... it is good to be captured by Americans."

[Sloth]

This is a job for Trading Spaces!

Good thinking. Saddam could redecorate Osama's Tora Bora cave with a nice china cabinet and some Persian wall hangings, while Osama brings some fun 'tacky-chic' beanbag chairs and paints Saddam's place a fabulous new shade of 'desert camo.'

Only problem is, I think both their brains are already decorating a wall somewhere.

[AnAmericanMother]

Yes, but this is 'Liberating,' not 'Looting.' In their senior years, they will show their grandchildren their liberated Iraqi ashtray.

Our posts crossed! My sentiments exactly (you would not believe all the stuff my dad brought back . . . )

[Sloth]

I hope not. I'd hate for the Nazis to come try and reacquire the medal I inherited from my grandpaw.

[mombonn]

you could almost say it was idyllic.

The gardens were lovely, so were the floors and woodwork, etc. Hope he enjoyed his idyllic existence while here on earth, the rest of his eternity won't be so pleasant.

[Charles Martel]

This is a job for Trading Spaces!

More like "While You Were Out", no? Of course, that requires the owner to return at some point - likely a big problem in this particular case.

Alternative: Federal Judge sentences Martha Stewart to give all of Saddam's former palaces that warm, lived-in touch. Should only take ten or fifteen years.

[Kay Soze]

Third week of the Washington Post and New York Times quagmire.

Took 44 days of non stop bombing in '91 to push 'em from Kuwait to other side of the border!

This time in just 18 days we have United States Marines smoking cigars at Saddam's on the Tigris in Baghdad!!