Back in 2005 my unit and I got deployed to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom. This was my first deployment since 2000 when I was send to Kuwait for Operation Desert Spring, which was just like a fieldtrip to Kuwait for some stupid training; the Army called it war training.
My first impression about Iraq was that I believed that green trees and plants were forbidden in the country. Not once did I see and a bush, fern or tree growing…on our base at least.
Anyways, towards the middle of the deployment I had to go into the Green Zone (or IZ) to get my passport made. Let me give you a little insight about what the Green Zone is. The Green Zone is where the center capital of what was once Saddam’s great regime. After the invasion in 2002 the US took over this area and made it the headquarters’ of the operation. Well inside this horde of chaos is Mr. Saddam’s palace, also called the Alpha Palace.
When I first walked inside I couldn’t help but feel like I just stepped into some cheap hotel. The place smelled like old cheese and cigarette butts, with a dash of wet dog. The main lobby is clouded with a huge chandelier that is supposedly worth over 2 million dollars. In my opinion I think it came from some Chinese swap-meet.
The palace is filled with rooms and old Iraqi krap, but the most interesting room I stumbled upon was the Chapel room. It’s a huge room with Roman styled pillars lined across the walls. When you look up you’ll see Scud missiles arching across the ceiling punching its way through the clouds…I’m guessing they’re headed to the US. I can imagine Saddam bring in some girl and showing off this room, “hey wanna see my scud’s?”.
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