Saddam Hussein's Yacht for Sale at $30 Million
Back in August, my colleague Deidre Woollard reported on a court ruling that Saddam Hussein's yacht Basra Breeze (formerly Ocean Breeze) belonged to the Iraqi government after a Cayman island firm partly owned by King Abdullah of Jordan claimed possession. Now the Iraqis have put the 269-ft. megayacht up for sale with a pricetag of $30 million, but the décor is so tacky and outdated it will require at least another $30 million to overhaul the ship, the London Times reports.
Launched in 1981, the ship features acres of marble and gold, Arabesque arches, dark wood carvings, "deep pile carpets in lurid colours and rugs woven with views of holy cities", and gold faucets in the bathrooms. There's also a bulletproof atrium with banquet seating for 200, two medical treatment centers and a mini operating theater, and a helipad. In Saddam's time the ship had a crew of up to 35 on 24-hour call, but the dictator was so paranoid he barely ever left Iraq or spent any time onboard.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Gia J. Dec 23rd 2008 12:29AM
Auction is one way of disposing and selling properties for the benefit of something or for beneficial use. Did you see how well President Bush was received during his last surprise visit to Iraq? The mad shoe-thrower who was none too pleased with the lame president’s treatment of his country made an unexpected protest by throwing his shoes at W. The man has been identified as Muntadhar al-Zeidi, an Iraqi journalist. In Muslim culture, showing the sole of your shoe is a symbol of extreme disrespect, but throwing your shoes goes deeper than an insult. Beleaguered Iraqi citizens took off their shoes and threw them at the toppling statue of Saddam Hussein during liberation – that will tell you more about what an insult it is. Bush laughed this off and referred to it as a "sign of a free society," much like payday loans are. If convicted, he is looking at a minimum of two years in prison for insulting a visiting head of state. Protesters burned American flags and threw shoes at a tank in Najaf, apparently because they feel al-Zeidi should be praised for his “courageous” action. Al-Zeidi and his infamous footwear are still in custody. I doubt there’s any way of getting his shoes back. Click to read more on http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2008/12/16/need-extra-eash-throw-shoes-at-bush/.