End of an era: US hands over Camp Victory to Iraqis

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq?? Inside palace walls built by Saddam Hussein, U.S. generals plotted the war's course, tracked the mounting death toll and swore in new American citizens under gaudy glass chandeliers.

Just outside the palace, American troops whacked golf balls into man-made lakes or fished for carp, while others sat down with a cigar and a can of nonalcoholic beer hoping for a respite from incoming rockets or mortar shells.

Along another lake some distance away, a jailed Saddam tended to tomatoes and cucumbers in a small, walled-off enclosure with guards patrolling overhead.

Ever since the soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division fought their way into the Baghdad airport grounds nearly nine years ago, the sprawling area they renamed Camp Victory has held a special place in the American military experience in Iraq.

From here, the highest-ranking generals sitting behind banks of telephones and video screens communicated with commanders in the field and political leaders in Washington, and dictated strategy that unfolded on the streets of Fallujah, Mosul and Najaf.

Video: Camp Victory handed over to Iraqi government (on this page)

It was an intersection in the war where U.S. troops, hot and dusty after traveling across Iraq's deadly roads and highways, could relax with a latte or bootlegged movie before heading back out again.

On Friday, the base that at its height was home to 46,000 people was handed over to the Iraqi government as part of American efforts to move all U.S. troops out of the country by the end of the year.

"The base is no longer under U.S. control and is under the full authority of the government of Iraq," said U.S. military spokesman Col. Barry Johnson. He said that by 2 p.m. on Friday, there was no longer any U.S. troop presence at the base.

The transfer of the country's largest American military base to Iraqi custody happened with little fanfare, and no ceremony was held.

The area, which the military formally calls Victory Base Complex, was originally used as a country club for the Baghdad elite under Saddam. A visitor can still find small relics of that era, such as signs advising patrons where to park, or the hours during which the casino was open.

Saddam built the palace complex near the airport out of embarrassment. During the 1978 Arab League summit he was forced to house incoming dignitaries in private homes in Baghdad because he had no proper accommodations, according to Robert O. Kirkland, a former U.S. military historian who interviewed former Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz and other Iraqis who were once in American custody.

To rectify the problem, Saddam went on a palace-building spree, eventually building nine structures of varying size and impressiveness. He gave some of them names that reflected his often convoluted view of the world: Victory over America, Victory over Iran and Victory over Kuwait.

In the run-up to the war, U.S. military planners were confused by a cone-shaped structure they could see from satellite imagery, said Col. Les Melnyk, another former U.S. military historian in Iraq. They labeled it a possible prayer site. It turned out to be a pigeon coop.

1. Only on msnbc.com

   1. Next 'Occupy' targets: foreclosed homes, vacant lots
   2. Top beefs against credit card issuers listed
   3. Woman's racist train rant draws death threats
   4. Job growth up, but not for quality jobs
   5. Sears reverses 'sneaky' up-sell policy
   6. Congressional insider trading ban gains momentum
   7. Voters remain cool toward Romney

Maj. William Sumner was a captain when his unit arrived at Camp Victory in mid-April 2003. He remembers how Iraqi looters managed to get into the complex and make off with geese, pelicans and other animals from a small zoo Saddam had built.

"I think that's when the cougar got out of the enclosure," he said. For weeks afterward, a large feline, which Sumner said could have also been a bobcat, was spotted wandering around the base.

In the early days after the invasion, soldiers swam in the man-made lakes or toured the islands with paddle boats.

But quickly the atmosphere became more like bases back in the U.S. That meant rules and regulations ? and military police to enforce them. Sumner said during his unit's second week at Victory he was pulled over for speeding.

"After we moved onto our other place, we just tried to refuse to go back there whenever possible," he said.

Victory Base Complex was essentially a city, often hit by rockets or mortar shells. One time the violence came from within. In May 2009, a U.S. soldier shot and killed five fellow troops at a combat stress clinic.

The facility was so big it was divided into sections with different names. Troops could travel from Camp Stryker to Camp Liberty without leaving the base. A public bus system with posted routes transported people to the dining facilities, the gym or a dirt speedway where troops and contractors would race remote-controlled cars.

By the numbers supplied by the U.S. military, it was a substantial operation:

? The incinerators destroyed an average of 178,000 pounds of waste a day.

? A water purification plant produced 1.85 million gallons of water a day.

? A bottled water plant filled 500,000 one-liter bottles a day.

? Three separate plants produced 60 megawatts of power a day.

If soldiers grew tired of food at the massive chow halls, they could grab takeout at Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Cinnabon, Burger King or Subway.

At various stores they could buy anything from illegal DVDs to a Harley Davidson motorcycle delivered straight to their door back in the U.S. when they returned from the war. In the early days of the war, troops could even buy Saddam Hussein's personal silverware and place settings.

Troops and contractors visiting from other bases took tours of the palaces.

One particularly entertaining pastime was feeding the carp in the lake surrounding Al Faw palace, where the top generals and U.S. military officials were based. The aggressive fish would jump out of the water for cereal, Girl Scout cookies and Pop Tarts.

Off-limits to most troops was the jail used to house Saddam and some of his cohorts. In a dilapidated, bomb-damaged building encircled by concertina wire, American troops interrogated and guarded the former dictator before he was handed over to the Iraqis and executed in 2006.

The Iraqi government has not yet announced plans for the complex, prime real estate in a country sorely lacking in parks and public spaces. The Iraqi military is already using some parts, and there is talk of turning Saddam's jail cell into a museum.

? 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45520785/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/

the avengers trailer the avengers trailer minka kelly presidential debate xbox live update bloomberg tv bloomberg tv

Economy imperils wildlife rescue

By The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- The disabled grizzly bears Huck, Jake, Pete and Mike arrived after a drive-thru animal park closed in 1985.

Drifter the tiger came as a cub after being seized in a 1997 Chicago drug raid.

Booie, the smoking chimp, was brought here in 1995 at age 28 when he was no longer needed for testing vaccines at the New York University School of Medicine.

Through the years, 76,000 animals have come and gone ? all welcomed by Martine Colette, founder and director of the Wildlife WayStation, one of the first animal sanctuaries in the country and, at one time, the largest.

Some of Hollywood's biggest stars have rallied around the WayStation in the past decade. Still, the fate of its remaining 420 animals is endangered by a drop in donations, rising upkeep and food costs, and the inability to pay staff.

"If the WayStation does not find a way out from under the horrific financial burden it is currently facing, caused by the current recession and disastrous economic downfall, then all these animals that came to us for safe haven are in real jeopardy," Colette said last week.

It's a problem that extends well beyond the cages and enclosures on her property 30 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. Times are hard for all nonprofits, especially donation-driven sanctuaries, said Adam Roberts, executive vice president of Born Free USA, a California-based animal welfare and wildlife conservation organization.

In recent months, the Wild Animal Orphanage in San Antonio closed because of overcrowding and lack of money. A Florida man lived in a cage with two lions for a month to raise money for his rescue center.

In Ohio, a man released dozens of lions, tigers and other animals from a private preserve before killing himself. Sheriff's deputies had to track and kill nearly 50 runaway animals. Authorities aren't sure of his motive, but he and his wife owed at least $68,000 in unpaid taxes.

Colette, 69, seems like an unlikely rescuer.

Born in Paris, she traveled with her Belgian diplomat father when he went on safari. Friends, colleagues and customers of her Hollywood costume and design business knew she had been to Africa and Asia, and they were always bringing her unwanted or unsuitable animals.

"They'd say, 'This ocelot is trying to eat our Chihuahua."

She took in her first animal in 1966 and a decade later found herself living with 50 animals in a three-bedroom house. Something had to give, so she sold her business, bought 162 acres in Tujunga Canyon in the Angeles National Forest and incorporated the Wildlife WayStation in 1976.

It was meant to be a place to treat and rehabilitate injured animals before returning them to the wild. But you can't release lions and tigers in this country and some animals were too sick to ever go back ? an eagle blind in one eye, the crippled grizzlies and the lab chimps.

She did not believe any animal in need should be turned away, no matter the problem, no matter the cost. It didn't matter if an animal was wild, tame, hurt or handicapped. Whether it was a hummingbird in a matchbox or 27 lions and tigers from an illegal game farm in Idaho, she embraced them all.

"When pot-bellied pigs were in demand, we had 146 come in at one time. There were a lot of ostriches when they were billed as the next white meat," she said.

For 35 years, Colette has had her hand out, gathering donations for her ever-changing stable of creatures. Hollywood has often rallied to her cause.

Betty White has been a supporter from the beginning. In 2001, Hollywood elite, including Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, Russell Crowe, and Johnny Depp put together a CD called "Hollywood Goes Wild" to try and raise money for the WayStation. Sharon Stone made a YouTube plea for donations in 2009.

Colette's plea has never been as urgent as last week's.

She's had to lay off about a third of her staff, which has ranged from 42 to 50 people, and she wonders how she'll cover the $142,000 it costs a month to feed and care for the animals.

Problems extend to complying with environmental and permit regulations.

A decade ago, the WayStation had more than 1,100 permanent residents and 5,000 animals dropping in each year. But state officials banned public tours and barred the refuge from accepting new animals after waste was found in a stream and chimpanzees had contagious diseases.

A few years later, Los Angeles County refused to reissue its permit until roads were repaved, sewers replaced and electrical wiring upgraded.

The sanctuary acknowledged the environmental violations and started working on the expensive upgrades, tapping out its emergency fund.

Colette, who had hoped to retire, is open to a merger or partnership that would make money without exploiting the animals.

Someone suggested a wedding chapel on the picturesque grounds. Colette mused about a mountaintop restaurant.

"Everybody talks about how fabulous it is to come out here and listen to the lions roaring and the chimpanzees and tigers calling."

__?

? 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/04/9207900-economy-imperils-wildlife-rescue

fleet week scarecrow festival scarecrow festival texas longhorns texas longhorns oklahoma state football

FAMU president postpones work of hazing task force (Providence Journal)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/168863473?client_source=feed&format=rss

lizzie borden lizzie borden 20/20 maps directions josephine baker pumpkin patch troy polamalu

Buffett buys a newspaper. Time to invest in news?

Warren Buffett's $200 million deal to acquire the Omaha World-Herald is no investor's home run. But it does signal that well-run local newspapers have a profitable future.

The deal was no blockbuster. No splashy audacious buy during a market sell-off. But in a way, Warren Buffett's plan to purchase the Omaha World-Herald for $200 million is a bold move.

Skip to next paragraph Laurent Belsie

Business Editor

Recent posts

Newspapers are nobody's idea of a growth business.?Even Mr. Buffett has disparaged the future of printed news. In 2009, he said many newspapers could look forward to ?the possibility of nearly unending losses.?

So has the "Oracle from Omaha" changed his mind ? and does his purchase suggest that investors should take another look at newspapers??Making money was not Buffett's sole goal in buying his hometown paper, analysts say. But his purchase signals that one of the world's most astute investors believes newspapers, at least well-run local ones, can survive and profit.

"I think newspapers ... have a decent future,'' he said in an interview with the World-Herald, after the purchase was announced Wednesday. In terms of profits, "it won't be like the past. But there are still a lot of things newspapers can do better than any other media. They not only can be sustained, but are important.''

Buffett has long experience with newspapers. His father edited the University of Nebraska's student newspaper. He himself was once circulation manager of the Lincoln Journal. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns the Buffalo News and is the Washington Post's largest shareholder.

"He really knows the newspaper business," says Donna Dudney,?a finance professor at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. And "there's a distinction to be made between national newspapers and local newspapers."

While national papers have so much competition that they have to give away much of their content for free, many local papers have seen far less of a profit squeeze. That's especially true of World-Herald. The state's largest paper in terms of print circulation, it has little competition locally or regionally. Its website attracts twice the monthly web traffic of Omaha's two local TV stations combined.

"They really dominate the news in Nebraska," says Professor Dudney.

Still, Dudney and other observers were a little surprised by the price that Buffett paid for the World-Herald and its string of local newspapers in Nebraska and Iowa: some $150 million in cash plus the assumption of $50 million in debt.

"I honestly thought it might be a bit lower," says Dudney, who also teaches a course on Buffett's investing methods. The paper is privately held, so it's hard to know just how profitable it is. But "I am not sure Buffett applied the same standards he would have to an acquisition where he had no emotional ties."

So are newspapers suddenly a good investment? Analysts are skeptical.

"I doubt his opinion about the future of newspapers has changed," says John Morton, a longtime newspaper analyst and head of his own media consulting firm. "I suspect he wants to make sure the paper continues to do a good job covering his hometown, rather than?risk some other buyer coming in and plundering it."

Buffett's expectations about his latest $200 million acquisition seem middle-of-the-road.?

"It's not a crazy price. It certainly is not a bargain price," he told the World-Herald. "I wouldn't do this if I thought this was doomed to some sort of extinction."

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/9yMUcVq0vWw/Buffett-buys-a-newspaper.-Time-to-invest-in-news

how the grinch stole christmas bishop eddie long baylor art basel 2011 art basel 2011 straight no chaser straight no chaser

Experts reclassify painting as real Rembrandt

AMSTERDAM (AP) ? Experts have reclassified a painting as a Rembrandt after years of attributing it to one of the Dutch master's students.

Ernst van de Wetering of the Rembrandt Research Project said Friday that X-ray analysis of "Bearded Old Man" has revealed outlines of a self-portrait of Rembrandt as a young man underneath.

He also cited stylistic analysis and circumstantial evidence in support of the conclusion that the painting ? showing a man with unkempt white hair, lost in thought with just a hint of sadness ? is by the Dutch master.

Van de Wetering dates the small (15 x 20 cm, 6 x 8 inch) but emotive painting to 1630, when Rembrandt van Rijn would have been 24 years old. Rembrandt's reputation as a portraitist was rapidly growing and he was preparing to leave Leiden for Amsterdam, which at that time was enjoying its golden age as a major naval power.

Van de Wetering said that the style and quality of the painting itself provide the strongest arguments for its authenticity, but the existence of the underlying portrait was important too.

"The light is typically Rembrandt in that it is so totally convincing: you perceive it as if you are looking at reality and not at a painting," he said.

"That was one of Rembrandt's great, great interests and also where he was so extraordinarily gifted, at portraying light so convincingly."

Classifying the painting as an authentic Rembrandt fills a hole in his historical record ? a 1633 painting exists with an inscription that says it is a copy of "Bearded Old Man" by the Dutch master.

"Bearded Old Man" belongs to an unidentified private collector. It will go on display May-July of next year at the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam, where the finding was announced Friday.

Van de Wetering collaborated with restorer Martin Bijl and technology professors Joris Dik of the Delft University of Technology and Koen Janssens of the University of Antwerp, among others in the reclassification.

Researchers used at least five different kinds of X-ray scans to analyze the chemical makeup of pigments in the painting and probe its hidden layers of paint. The scans were done at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York and ESRF in Grenoble, France.

Rembrandt produced hundreds of paintings, etchings and drawings, but new finds are extremely rare. However, four works formerly attributed to his students ? a talented group in their own right ? have been reclassified as by Rembrandt since 2008, often with the help of new technology.

_____

Online:

www.rembrandt.ua.ac.be

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2011-12-02-EU-Netherlands-Rembrandt/id-497f98f912e341139a63ff825f39c374

raiders chargers san diego chargers san diego chargers vincent jackson veterans day rick perry

Ex-Brazil midfielder Marcelinho arrested

updated 12:10 p.m. ET Nov. 30, 2011

SAO PAULO - Police in northeastern Brazil say they have arrested former Brazil representative Marcelinho for allegedly attempting to rape a woman.

Oziel Cunha Costa, a spokesman for the police department in Campina Grande, in the state of Paraiba, says the 36-year-old midfielder was arrested early Wednesday during a party at his house.

He says that according to the alleged victim, Marcelinho forced her to kiss him and pulled her hair.

Costa declined to provide further details.

Marcelinho's lawyer, Afonso Vilar, told G1 news web portal that his client denied harassing or trying to rape anyone at the party.

Marcelinho, who played for Brazil in 2001, has played for clubs in Germany, France and Turkey, and currently for Sport in Recife.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

advertisement

More news

Galaxy win in Indonesia

Robbie Keane scored in the 14th minute to give the Los Angeles Galaxy a 1-0 win over an Indonesian all-star team in the first exhibition game of the MLS champions' Asian tour.

Season set

Major League Soccer's 2012 season will open March 10 with six games.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45494208/ns/sports-soccer/

jack del rio heaven is for real chapter 11 bankruptcy chapter 11 bankruptcy big ten acc challenge 2011 john wayne gacy amr

Senate Republicans offer tax-cut renewal plan (reuters)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/168363648?client_source=feed&format=rss

uekman music awards music awards giants eagles bcs rankings week 13 bcs rankings week 13 philadelphia marathon