Burger-Cola Treat at Saddam Palace

Gulf News ^ | April 25, 2003 | Gulf News

[Mister Magoo]

Burger-cola treat at Saddam palace Baghdad |Reuters | 25-04-2003 Print friendly format | Email to Friend

Hamburgers, hot dogs and Coca Cola came to the backyard of Saddam Hussain's palace yesterday as the new man in charge staked out his territory with an American-style barbecue.

Retired U.S. general Jay Garner enjoyed a relaxing lunch in the once-gracious palace grounds as giant sculptures of Saddam's head looked on. Garner and his entourage, winding up a damage-assessment tour of Baghdad and the Kurdish-controlled north, munched on food cooked on two oversize grills set up among the rose gardens and orange orchards where Saddam once strolled.

About 100 people attended the barbecue, which followed a meeting with Baghdad academics and community leaders where Garner urged Iraqis to get to work on rebuilding their country.

The palace appears to have escaped major damage in the three-week war to oust Saddam, whose fate since American forces rolled into Baghdad two weeks ago remains a mystery. Asked if he was planning to set up his new headquarters in the palace one of several presidential homes in the capital, Garner joked: "I rented this from Saddam."

[Mister Magoo]

[smith288]

Were Iraqis there? That would be good to see pictures of this BBQ.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Asked if he was planning to set up his new headquarters in the palace one of several presidential homes in the capital, Garner joked: "I rented this from Saddam."

I hope Garner is smarter than that, the last thing that we need to do is to appear to merely be replacing Saddam with ourselves in his palaces.

Surely there must be a Holiday Inn Select where Garner can stay.

[smith288]

Iraqis behind Garner appear to be enjoying themselves.

[smith288]

You serious? Sounds like a light hearted joke. And no, no Holiday Inns around Baghdad safe enough for Garner to operate.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Well, then how about Red Roof Inns?

[SunStar]

...the last thing that we need to do is to appear to merely be replacing Saddam with ourselves in his palaces.

Who cares how it "appears"? We need to stop basing our decision-making on how much the Left or the "Arab Street" will complain.

[sam_paine]

[smith288]

If your interested...

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Who cares how it "appears"? We need to stop basing our decision-making on how much the Left or the "Arab Street" will complain.

Actually I don't believe that the Administration has done much decision making based on what the arab street thinks.

However, it would look better to the Iraqis if we took more modest digs for ourselves. IMHO

[anniegetyourgun]

Is that because you fear that Iraqis will think that Jay and others will be living better than Saddam did - on their dime?

[oyez]

[Abigail Adams]

In-n-Out burgers are the best! Wish we had 'em here in the Midwest.

[Larry Lucido]

[oyez]

Or the Mid-South. The founder was bold to choose that name. At one timein the southeast, there was a hamburger chain called Royal Castle(similar to WC) Those burgers had a tendency to go through the system with rapidity, hence In'n'Out.

[jiggyboy]

No good -- owned by the Frogs! No Motel 6 either.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

White Castle - Going there was usually preceded by about a dozen low priced frosty wheat sodas of a Milwaukee vintage. We called it "making a trip to Le Chateau Blanc". The burgers themselves can be referred to as "beef cookies", "sliders", "sames" or "zacklys" (because they make your breath smell zackly the same as your butt).

[Howlin]

However, it would look better to the Iraqis if we took more modest digs for ourselves

I heard just today that a number of Iraqi families are presently living in Tariq Aziz's palace.

Give them SOME credit.

[theDentist]

Retired U.S. general Jay Garner enjoyed a relaxing lunch in the once-gracious palace grounds as giant sculptures of Saddam's head looked on.

Are we sure none of them heads wasn't the real thing?

[oyez]

I take it WC is not a place go on a hopefuly hot date.