Saddam's Palaces Looted Again!

His white-walled 12 bedroom villa in 'Billionaire’s Hill' overlooking Cannes and another luxury property on the French Riviera were looted when former Iraqi intelligence officers carted of with all its furnishings. Now, skinhead squatters are the new masters of the house. French as they are, they couldn't resist the temptation of re-decoration: spray painting slogans in various colours on the walls, for example. Setting fire to left-behind cupboards is another favorite activity. Pity, says the neighbours, who get to see the bonfire on the rich Arab's hill during weekends. Still, perhaps that is better than having the rapist and killer Uday throwing garden parties in the summers. The butcher of Baghdad himself never visited the property that was purchased in 1982. Quote:

The dictator’s interest in the property probably dates from a visit he made to Provence in 1975, with President Jacques Chirac, then French prime minister. Saddam reciprocated by offering Chirac a banquet of barbecued Iraqi carp.

The visit resulted in a bonanza for French business, including a deal worth £3 billion to supply Iraq with a nuclear reactor. It ended up being destroyed in a bombing raid by the Israelis in 1986.

Awaiting trial and a public hanging in Baghdad, Saddam says he is in good spirits and will be acquitted of all the charges laid against him. He says he is still the legitimate a ruler and that a foreign army came and deposed him. Apparently, a nation engaged in constitution drafting and elections are not good enough for him -which sounds very familiar to the arguments voiced by the anti-Bush-league these days.