Hands of Victory

The Iran-Iraq war was fought for nearly nine years (1980-1988), during which time both countries suffered millions of casualties and billions of dollars in damage. Some say (mostly Kyle-my factual resource here) that an entire Iraq and Iran generation was wiped out over this brutal war. The war was one of the most strategically important conflicts of modern times because it involved two major oil producers and the region where more than half the world's reserves are located. Despite the conflict's length and cost, neither Iran nor Iraq made significant territorial or political gains, and the fundamental issues dividing the countries remained unresolved at the end of the war. They came to a cease fire agreement with the help of the U.N.

The pictures here are a monuments from this war. The Swords of Qādisīyah, also called the Hands of Victory, are a pair of triumphal arches in central Baghdad, Iraq. Each arch consists of a pair of hands holding crossed swords. The two arches mark the entrances to a parade-ground constructed to commemorate their declaration of victory (that only they think was victorious) over Iran in the Iran-Iraq war.It is one of Baghdad's "sights" if you ever find yourself vacationing there. As much as I like to see new place and travel, Kyle's pictures and description are plenty for me. I don't see an Iraq vacation in my future.