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Palace Overview
Hello everyone! I know, this is the largest file I have sent yet,
but you will appreciate it. I have been asked more than once where all of the money Iraq has (or had) goes to.
My response is always the same. It went to Saddam and to his military. Of course Saddam spent it on lavish palaces
all over the country, some of which he did not even go to on a regular basis.
This photo is a satellite image of Saddam Hussein's Tikrit palace complex.
Over the next three days, you will be receiving photos of the labeled buildings. ENJOY! 9/7/03
Main Gate From The Ground
If you reference yesterday's picture, note the entrance into the palace
complex is labeled with "Guard Shack at Main Entrance".
Although it is not really a shack, this is a picture of the guard point
leading into the complex. How can you tell this picture was taken when we first got here? Because of the two bronze
statues of Saddam Hussein on a horse. If you remember from news footage (I know there is footage out there, as we saw
it on FOX and CNN), the 4th Infantry Division blew the statues off of their pedestals as part of ridding Iraq of anything depicting
Saddam. 9/8/03
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Main Palace
A shot of the main palace. Note there are a lot of smaller buildings
and "barracks" surrounding the premises. In selecting the site, they found an area of the Tigris (or created it) with
a natural estuary to protect the buildings and give them a place to play. The Tigris River actually has a
swift current to it. The picture also shows how the rivers here (Tigris and Euphrates) cut a swath of green through
the countryside. 9/9/03
Bonus Picture
Because I am such a nice guy, I am sending out a bonus picture of the day.
This one captures in one photo the main guard shack and the main palace
in one picture. The dust in the upper left hand corner is from the UH-60 Blackhawk that is about to land. 9/9/03
Water Palace
Here is the last in the series of the Tikrit Palace Complex pictures.
This building is what the coalition (specifically the 4th Infantry Division)
has dubbed as the "Water Palace". It sits just past the main palace on the estuary I talked about. You can see
the Tigris River and one of a few intact bridges in the background. If anyone is still wondering where all of Iraq's
money is, now you know.
Yes, there are some privileged soldiers living in all of the buildings I
have been sending you pictures of. You can reference the picture of the day from 3 September to see my palace.
I will get a shot of the outside of it for everyone later on. 9/10/03
The Reason For My Existance
KARILYN ELIZABETH TUCKER
Born September 11, 2002
Demolition Derby
The better title to this picture should have been "Bombing Ducks in
a Barrel" instead of demolition derby. Literally, right across the street from the abandoned Iraqi air base we
took over sits an abandoned (recurring theme here) Republican Guard base. The Air Force had a hay day early on
in the war and the looters have had an even better time since. If you did not think the Iraqis had much equipment, this
photo proves otherwise. And just think, there were hundreds of these bases throughout Iraq. 9/12/03
Sidewinders At Saddam International Airport
To date, my favorite picture of the war. This was taken during our four
day stay at Saddam International Airport, a week after the Irqai Information Minister declared that there were no Americans
at the airport. The aircraft pictured here are from the company I used to command: C Company "SIDEWINDERS",
1st Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment.
The all expenses paid four day and three night stay at Saddam's airport
was also the most surrealistic experience of the war. There we were living out of an international airport that
had no power or water (yes, it made for some interesting smells from the "presents" the Third Infantry Division had left for
us). We slept on the marble floors and wandered aimlessly through the abandoned corridors and every corner of the airport.
Quite a fun experience! 9/13/03
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