Al Salam Palace (Baghdad, Iraq)
Encyclopedia
The as-Salam Palace, previously a home of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein
, is now the National Guard's HQ.
. The palace was significantly damaged during the "Shock and Awe" campaign, when it sustained several airstrike attacks. It is headquarters for the Joint Area Support Group, and currently under command of The JASG-C, 32nd IBCT, Wisconsin Army National Guard. It has been known to coalition forces as "Camp Prosperity" and "Forward Operating Base Prosperity."
The palace is also surrounded by a sequence of square tiles bearing the initials of Saddam Hussein (S & H); the letters in Arabic are called "Saad" & "Haa." These tiles are obvious on the top side of the palace building. Iraqi's report that the palace dome used to have a life-sized statue of Saddam. This can be seen in photos of the place up to 2003.
The fireplaces, placed around the lake in front of the palace, are actually fresh air vents used to provide fresh air to the bunkers below the lake. These bunkers are now inaccessible, having been flooded and sealed off by the coalition.
In the basement of the palace is an entry to one of many concrete tunnels lying beneath the city of Baghdad. These tunnels are also ventilated and provide access to other palaces, governmental facilities and Baghdad International Airport
.
From April 2009 to January 2010, FOB Prosperity was ran by JASG-C 32d IBCT from Wisconsin.
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
, is now the National Guard's HQ.
History
As-Salam Palace was taken over by US coalition forces during the 2003 invasion of Iraq2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. The palace was significantly damaged during the "Shock and Awe" campaign, when it sustained several airstrike attacks. It is headquarters for the Joint Area Support Group, and currently under command of The JASG-C, 32nd IBCT, Wisconsin Army National Guard. It has been known to coalition forces as "Camp Prosperity" and "Forward Operating Base Prosperity."
Layout and amenities
The palace has 200 rooms with approximately 1000000 square feet (92,903 m²) floor space. There are six floors, three of which are usable (others serve as 'false floors'); two large ball rooms. The palace is internally lined with marble floors with hundreds of thousands of hand-cut pieces, granite walls, and ceilings that also have hundreds of thousands of hand-carved and inlaid hand-painted flowers.The palace is also surrounded by a sequence of square tiles bearing the initials of Saddam Hussein (S & H); the letters in Arabic are called "Saad" & "Haa." These tiles are obvious on the top side of the palace building. Iraqi's report that the palace dome used to have a life-sized statue of Saddam. This can be seen in photos of the place up to 2003.
The fireplaces, placed around the lake in front of the palace, are actually fresh air vents used to provide fresh air to the bunkers below the lake. These bunkers are now inaccessible, having been flooded and sealed off by the coalition.
In the basement of the palace is an entry to one of many concrete tunnels lying beneath the city of Baghdad. These tunnels are also ventilated and provide access to other palaces, governmental facilities and Baghdad International Airport
Baghdad International Airport
Baghdad International Airport, originally Saddam International Airport, , BIAP is Iraq's largest airport, located in a suburb about west of downtown Baghdad in the Baghdad Governorate...
.
From April 2009 to January 2010, FOB Prosperity was ran by JASG-C 32d IBCT from Wisconsin.
External links
- Simplified schematic map of the surrounding area
- 2000 satellite photo at the Federation of American ScientistsFederation of American ScientistsThe Federation of American Scientists is a nonpartisan, 501 organization intent on using science and scientific analysis to attempt make the world more secure. FAS was founded in 1945 by scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project to develop the first atomic bombs...
web site - Saddam has left the building article in the St. Petersburg TimesSt. Petersburg TimesThe St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
with description and photos
