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Iraq eyes tourism as US leaves Saddam palace

TIKRIT, Iraq : US commanders on Tuesday moved out of a complex of palaces that once belonged to ousted president Saddam Hussein, a site Iraqi officials hope to turn into a tourist destination.

The complex overlooking the Tigris River was built just outside Saddam's hometown of Tikrit in northern Iraq soon after the country's defeat in the 1991 Gulf War over Kuwait.

It served as headquarters to the 42nd Infantry Division, responsible for military operations in north-central Iraq.

Their replacement, the 101st Airborne Division, will be staying at a former Iraqi air base a few kilometers (miles) up the road, and local officials will take control of the palace complex.

They need to contact Disney. I can see a massive theme park/resort, centered around the palaces, with a "Battle For Iraq" ride which shows the Iraqis rising up and overrhrowing Saddam (with just a bit of help from the US) about 20 years from now.

The special effects should be AWESOME.

(I wouldn't recommend they contact Six Flags, though.)

J.