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Chandelier Crystals from Saddam's Palace


Brig
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I guess I'll play

 

I spent a period of time from 2006-2007 providing external security to the US Embassy In Baghdad. At the time, the Embassy was located in Saddam Hussein's Palace within the IZ. Aside from the MSG detail, we were the only Marines there, a 37 man task force. Ironically, though MSG was internal security, they lived in trailers outside, and us being external security, lived inside in the 'dungeon'.

 

During the invasion, a bombing run evidently knocked down a chandelier, which they proceeded to just toss into storage in the dungeon. I harvested a few strands of crystals from it to take back with me.

 

Despite all the myths about solid gold this and crystal that, in reality Saddam was rather a cheap@$$. His 24k doors were merely sheet gold hammered over wooden designs, and his crystal chandeliers were rather plastic and glass with cheap hammered butterflies. As for the 24K toilet...well, save for a "third floor" (more of a loft), my security clearance covered the rest of the building, and we spent some hours looking for it...never found it, don't think it exists.

 

I've been meaning to frame this, finally rediscovered them and have a case on order. Neat pieces directly connected to a dictator

Palace3.jpg

Palace1.jpg

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USCapturephotos

That is really interesting. Thanks for your service and thank you for sharing. I have a box of picked up web gear and such that a buddy of mine sent back in 03. Have you ever found a picture of the chandelier before the war?

Paul

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Another odd thing about the man, I suppose

 

I may have a photo of the chandeliers that didn't fall. In the main corridor, he had one about every ten feet

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Haven't been able to find an image of the exact type these suspended from yet, but he did use multiple types of chandeliers in the palace. Here are a few images of some I have found from my deployment. In case someone wants to question the provenance of these pieces :lol:

PalcefromBalcony.jpg

Chandlierinpalace.jpg

ThefamousRocketballroominthepalace.jpg

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Despite all the myths about solid gold this and crystal that, in reality Saddam was rather a cheap@$$. His 24k doors were merely sheet gold hammered over wooden designs, and his crystal chandeliers were rather plastic and glass with cheap hammered butterflies. As for the 24K toilet...well, save for a "third floor" (more of a loft), my security clearance covered the rest of the building, and we spent some hours looking for it...never found it, don't think it exists.

 

I visited the embassy in Baghdad for a couple of days in 2006 - it was late May if I recall. I saw the "gold" toilet seats and they were simply gold colored plastic. Still, they beat an outdoor Port-a-John -- those things can get hot!

 

Interestingly, the walls surrounding the palace had once had a coat of arms of some type mounted every few yards but by the time I was there they had all been removed, leaving only a shadow showing where they had been.

 

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I visited the embassy in Baghdad for a couple of days in 2006 - it was late May if I recall. I saw the "gold" toilet seats and they were simply gold colored plastic. Still, they beat an outdoor Port-a-John -- those things can get hot!

 

Interestingly, the walls surrounding the palace had once had a coat of arms of some type mounted every few yards but by the time I was there they had all been removed, leaving only a shadow showing where they had been.

 

I got to the embassy late August/early September...would not surprise me if they were intentionally removed and stored, they had quite a few things in storage facilities in and connect to the dungeon

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I've got a metal piece from the top of one of the palace chandeliers that looks like the one in the picture with the chair...fortunately, the soldiers took a picture of the chandelier that shows the pieces he took...it's gold colored pot metal Arabic letters....

 

Mark sends

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my son got to handle gold plated AK-47s. He said they were piece of junk. Gold was so thin it almost rubbed of with handling.

The state Department kept all those in their Bull Pen...including Uday's RPG Launcher and Saddam's infamous shotgun (seen in the image of him firing it one-handed) The wouldn't let his shot gun out, and there were no photographs allowed in that wing of the building, but they let us play with the rest one day. Gold plated, chrome plated, Uday's RPG. And, yes, they were junk. It's my understanding that a couple of the gold AK's made it back and are in private collections somewhere. Damn, 8 years ago...look at those young guys! :o

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n500052354_1050_2885.jpg

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Most interesting! What other items did you see come back?

I brought back a uniform & some field gear, and some floor tiles from the palace. A lot of people bought AK bayonets at a local bazaar. Helmet shells and gas masks my first tour. Other than that, not a whole lot. Trinkets from bazaars or kids on the street, the helmets and masks were because we found a giant cache that had been partially torched. Most of the combatants we encountered were not wearing any military gear

 

That being said, one of my buddies found a framed photo in a shop when we were poking around. An aerial view of the palace before Saddam did all of his stupid statues, busts and fountains in black and white...it was a really cool before shot. He ended up paying like 75-100 bucks for it, but it was a cool find

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BelligerentBlue

On one of my deployments, there was an Iraqi IP walking around with a gold plated HK. Sadly, my external hard drive with all my pictures was destroyed, so I have next to nothing left.

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Here's a pic of my chandelier piece.....cheap pot metal.

 

21. Chandelier topper from Saddam Hussein’s palace in Tikrit. Taken as a souvenir by Army Military Police Sergeant Scott Rowe, who was told by an interpreter that the inscription says “A glorious victory with God’s help”, and that Hussein kept the saying around all his lighting fixtures to remind him that he could do anything.

 

 

 

 

Mark sends

post-3423-0-05067700-1392580190.jpg

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  • 5 months later...

I've seen some of Saddam's silver place settings...all plated. Interesting bringbacks, story, and above all, thanks for your service!

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