Saddam Statues Become Tribute to GIs - Democratic Underground

Rose Siding

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Fri Sep-03-04 05:44 PM
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Saddam Statues Become Tribute to GIs

FORT HOOD, Texas -- A life-size statue of a GI in mourning made from the bronze of two melted-down monuments to Saddam Hussein was dedicated to the 4th Infantry Division.

Hundreds of soldiers at a ceremony Thursday joined family members and friends of the 75 men and six women from the division killed in the war.

Division soldiers had toppled two 50-foot statues of a heroic Saddam on horseback in Saddam's hometown of Tikrit.

An Iraqi artist melted the statues down and created a new one depicting a GI mourning the fallen comrades as a girl tries to console him.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-saddam-sculpture,0,2926653.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

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54anickel

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Fri Sep-03-04 06:01 PM
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1. I'll bite my tongue on this one. I would like to know the rest of the

story. When was this designed and by whom? Who is this Iraqi artist and from where? How much is bronze worth these days anyway and did we have the right to take that "scrap metal"?

Quite a moving image depicted - think it ever really happened?

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DulceDecorum

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Fri Sep-03-04 06:27 PM
Response to Reply #1

2. What happened to the solid gold faucets

in the palaces?
They must have made some dandy paperweights.

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gratuitous

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Fri Sep-03-04 06:29 PM
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3. Link to Snopes

For a slightly fuller treatment:

http://www.snopes.com/photos/military/kalat.asp

The soldiers apparently tried to stiff the sculptor when they requested added figures. Can't imagine why Newsday is picking up this story only now. It's been kicking around for at least eight months.

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Rose Siding

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Fri Sep-03-04 06:37 PM
Response to Reply #3

4. The ceremony was just yesterday n/t

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54anickel

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Fri Sep-03-04 10:21 PM
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5. Thanks for posting this gratuitous. Sort of what I figured happened.

The idea of the soldier mourning his friend is certainly understandable, but adding the Iraqi girl was either purely political or delusional on Sgt. Fuss' part. At the time I'm sure it's what they wanted to believe, it's what was drilled into them. If I was in those troops shoes I'd want to truly believe I was a "liberator" as well.

Sad how this is being used and spun as more propaganda for the Iraq war. Wonder if the story has been picked up by other media outlets besides Newsday.

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