Posted on 12/20/2009 1:00:38 PM PST by SandRat
This building in Basrah, once used by Saddam Hussein as an interrogation facility, is being demolished to make way for a new Iraqi Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) facility. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
BASRAH — A building once used by Saddam Hussein as an interrogation facility is being demolished to make way for a new Iraqi Explosive Ordnance Disposal office.
According to Ken Bright, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region South project engineer, the community as a whole is happy about the demolition and new construction because the facility held bad memories. “To quote the local Iraqi’s, ‘many people were taken to the facility for actions that were not pleasing to the Hussein regime and they never came out alive,’” he said.
Because of this, it was known to the people in the area as a place of evil. “The GRS Iraqi associates that I’ve talked to say ‘it’s a blessing from Allah that the building is being destroyed,’” Bright quoted.
“The new construction constitutes a new beginning for the neighborhood. It is part of [the] rebuilding of Iraq that is getting rid of the bad memories and adding new buildings for the positive future yet to come,” Bright added.
Demolition is expected to be complete by April 2010 with construction of the new compound beginning between June and August 2010. “The contractor is progressing well and is almost finished with the demolition of the fifth floor of the seven-story building,” Bright said. "Construction of the new Explosives Ordinance Disposal compound is per Gulf Region South’s standard facility design.
“The EOD standard compound design throughout southern Iraq consists of a masonry block perimeter wall with an entry control point, parking area, concrete sidewalk access, an EOD building for approximately 100 explosive technicians, water storage and distribution system, a power generation system, and a sewage collection and treatment system.”
The project is scheduled for completion in 2011.
Good riddance.
That sucker looks like it’ll pancake down pretty good when our EOD guys touch off the demo charges.
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