“The Palace without Owner” Became the U.S Military Quarters

The `Hussein`s Palace` was magnificent and luxurious. We became the first Korean press team who entered the Presidential Palace that was the most luxurious one among six palaces built by president Hussein in Baghdad. The Presidential Palace is located at west bank of Tigris River where the water flows in 90 degree of angle.

We crossed the bridge of Jum Horiya in order to go the palace. This bridge was like a landmark, which could affect the Baghdad fight. The U.S. military troops destroyed the Iraqi troops by marching eastward after crossing the bridge.

Three vehicles on the two-sided road used as a barricade by Iraqi soldiers were turned over being totally broken down by the missile attacks. Five to six plunderers were hanging around the vehicles turned to black by fire. They were observing if they could plunder some more stuff from the vehicles. When we focused the camera on them, they seemed to try to attack us saying, “They are taking pictures of us. Let`s give them lessons.” We were in a hurry excelling the pedal to get out of the place.

There are few people who have ever entered the Presidential Palace among Iraqi people. The U.S. military gave permission to only reporters to enter the palace. Nonetheless Iraqi people kept on coming to the palace. The U.S. military guards who guarded the palace seemed to use all their strengths to block them.

Right at the moment we passed the entrance, we heard the report of a gun, `Bang.` It was the blank ammunition shot by the U.S. military toward Iraqi people who never moved backward. However, Iraqi people there didn`t seem to be scared of that act at all. In particular, there was one woman who was embracing her daughter. She was telling a U.S soldier in Arabic that she was looking for husband to defend the Presidential Palace.

The Arabic guide Osama explained the situations to the reporter who was surprised at the report of a gun and was a little scared of. Mr. Osama told, “She was making a vain effort to find her husband even though the U.S. soldiers could not understand Arabic. If the U.S. military guards had understood Arabic, they would have been heavy minded.

The past official name of the presidential palace used to be the mansion of the republic. However, now it is the military quarters of the U.S. military, the 64th battalion, the 2nd brigade of the 3rd infantryman division.

Rae-Jeong Park Sung-Kyu Kim ecopark@donga.com kimsk@donga.com