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Iraq Book Excerpt 2 - Base As I got more comfortable with the job and figured out a routine, plus got to know some of the people I was working with, I was able to get out and explore the vast areas near the airport under the control of U.S. and coalition forces. Dominating the center of our compound was a large artificial lake dotted with a couple of small islands and stocked with fish. The whole area had been a walled-off, well-watered, rest and relaxation spot for the Hussein family and upper-level Baath Party members. Though somewhat rundown, bombed, and shot up, it was still kind of nice. |
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The Baath Party headquarters where the whole war started with missiles targeting Saddam was just on the other side of the lake. The building was partly collapsed from the attack but even damaged and ransacked you could see how impressive it had once been. In a desert country control of water shows power, and the headquarters had water on three sides and even little inlets designed to let the lake flow through the building, even the central courtyard was given over to water – all a unique expression of desert power. |
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Plenty of stories and rumors floated around about the buildings and complex. At least one of the islands, reachable only by boat, was said to have been a ‘rape house’ where Uday Hussein imprisoned some of his victims before tiring and disposing of them. In a desert country where few can swim, the agony of being unchained and free to move around only 50 short yards from possible escape, yet having no way of getting across the water, must have been a separate torture all its own. In another part of our compound was a very small manmade hill cut through in several places with tiny tunnels and passageways. Now stinking of piss and filth, at one time it was a play area built for the Hussein grandkids to climb and explore. Cleaned up and looked at from a kid’s viewpoint, it would have been a great play area. With a couple of the guys from work we drove over to the next base, the headquarters of coalition military operations in Iraq. They operated from a huge palace, much nicer than ours. In the lobby there was even a throne Hussein used to supposedly sit on – now it’s got to be the most photographed chair in the world. It seemed that every passing soldier, civilian, and visitor got a shot of themselves in the big chair. Every time I had to go over to the other palace for a meeting there was a new crop of people getting their throne pictures. |