BAGHDAD, IRAQ (KYTX) -- "This is the front gate to the 'Victory over America' palace." This is the last palace Saddam Hussein ever built. He called it Victory over America because he was sure his country would win the Iraq war. But as we all know, that victory never happened.
"This was not finished, it was in the process of being finished."
The United States military invaded Iraq before he finished his latest project. Inside you can see unfinished columns, marble stairways, and elaborate personalized ceilings.
"There are his initials right over there." Our tour guide, Sergeant First Class Corrina Stevens, says the former Iraqi leader's palaces were thrown together quickly. You can see how bricks were shoved into the walls, not in any particular pattern.
"What he would do is give them unreasonable deadlines to have these finished. So, they were rapidly thrown together." The 'Victory over America' palace now means victory for America. U.S. soldiers can stand on top of the palace and fly an American flag to remember their loved ones back home.
"They fly a flag in their honor and they send a certificate home and when they get home, they present the flag." After we made our way back down the winding stairways of the palace, we went outside and looked across the river and saw a building with a unique name.
"The perfume palace right over there was the first wife's home for Saddam Hussein."
Just in front of the VOA palace is the "Flintstone Palace." The complex is made of man made caves. It's said that Saddam built this for his grandchildren -- his apology for killing their fathers.
"This is Ba'ath party house. This were they had their party headquarters." Saddam would often throw large gathering at the Ba'ath party house. At the time of the U.S. invasion, many people were inside. This is one of first buildings that our troops attacked.
"The pressure of the blast blew the windows into the plaster." In this room, you can still see the rubble from where a giant U.S. rocket landed. "They use this as canine cadaver training, because there were some bodies that couldn't be recovered." Right down the hallways is Saddam's indoor swimming pool. But, Sgt. FC Stevens says that's not what he actually used it for. "It was never actually filled with water, it was a place he took people and killed them."
Right outside stands an unusual mountain in Camp Slayer. Under it are more of his victims.
"Buried beneath it are the people who didn't want to leave this area when he built palaces."
Saddam Hussein lived an extravagant and highly publicized life. His death in 2006 was announced all over the world. And as you can see in Iraq, the legend of the world's most known dictator still lives on.
