The Al Faw Palace (also known as the Water Palace) is located in Baghdad near the Baghdad International Airport. Saddam Hussein commissioned its construction to commemorate the Iraqi forces' re-taking of the Al Faw Peninsula during the Iran-Iraq conflict. The Penniula is a marshy region in southwestern Iraq that contains a number of important oil installations and facilities, and also controls strategic access to the Gulf from the port of Basra.
Al Faw Palace contains over 62 rooms and 29 bathrooms. I used one of the gold trimed bathroom facilities on my last visit (sorry, no pictures). The Palace is situated on a former resort complex that contains numerous villas and smaller palaces and its surrounded by an artificial lake that has large carp and a special breed of large bass dubbed the Saddam bass. Since 2004, the Palace has been used as the headquarters for the Multinational Force Iraq (MNFI), along with the Joint Operations Center (JOC), which serves as 'Mission Control' for the Multi-National Corps Iraq (MNC-I) and all operational aspects of Operation Iraqi Freedom. There is. Saddam formerly used the palace for duck-hunting expeditions. With very light damage to the Al Faw Palace and other structures located on what is now Camp Victory, one could infer that planners of the 2003 invasion intended that this area would be used as a headquarters and main base area following the liberation of Baghdad.
On my last visit I gave myself a brief tour around the place, although I was not sure which areas my clearance allowed me to go, and more importantly which areas I was not allowed to go. I took a load off briefly in this ornate thrown gifted to Saddam by the former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. The top floor of the Palace (in addition to being the work space for the theatre’s senior generals) opens to roof top balconies with great views of the area surrounding Baghdad. As you can see, I was able to requisition a gulf club and a golf ball for a 7-iron shot into the surrounding lake. It was a difficult shot because the “balconies” have no railings, ledges, or anything else to lead you to believe it’s safe to walk around up there. Additionally, right below the ledge , in the area a shanked golf ball normally would land, was a parked convoy of armored suburbans that undoubtedly belonged to a general, foreign dignitary, or politician visitor.
Dear Husband,
ReplyDeletePlease refrain from using these “balconies” you describe as having no railings or ledges - or any other activities that you would explain as less than safe.
Love, Your safety sally wife.