Key symbols of Saddam’s regime targeted by US forces
About 70 tanks and armoured personnel carriers drove into the Iraqi capital at dawn, reportedly seizing at least two presidential palaces and encircling the Information Ministry and the infamous Al-Rashid hotel.
All of the buildings targeted in the raids are key symbols of the Ba'ath Party Regime and each has already been heavily bombed by coalition forces during the military campaign.
The US troops began by storming the symbol of Saddam's military strength, the Republican Palace, before targeting his official residence the opulent Al-Sijood, or "new" presidential palace in the heart of the city.
According to reports, the tanks then moved to surround the Ministry of Information and the Al-Rashid Hotel and occupy the Parade Ground, before moving on. Among the sites targeted by the US troops were:
The Al-Sijood Palace: The official residence of Saddam Hussein in the Al-Khark sector of Baghdad, west of the Tigris. Known as the "new" presidential palace it was targeted early on in the bombing campaign by coalition forces. UN weapons inspectors visited the four-storey building, which features a large dome, in December, but left empty handed. It was heavily rebuilt after being bombed during the last Gulf War.
The Republican Palace: One of Saddam's main palaces and another of his residences, the sprawling complex on the banks of the Tigris has been repeatedly hit by bombs or missiles since the US-led coalition launched the war against Iraq. It is seen as a key symbol of his grip on power.
: Al-Rashid Hotel: The infamous state-owned Al-Rashid hotel in the heart of Baghdad is home to many of the international journalists covering the war against Iraq, as it was during the first Gulf conflict in 1991. A huge mosaic of George Bush Snr's face adorns the lobby floor as a reminder of that era. The mosaic was reportedly commissioned by hotel workers angered by the US president who they blamed when a cruise missile was shot down and exploded in the hotel grounds in 1993.
The Information Ministry: The home of the mouthpiece of Saddam Hussein's regime, the ministry of information has led the propaganda war on behalf of the Iraqi leader, controlling press coverage of the conflict. The building is close to the west bank of the River Tigris which flows through the heart of Baghdad, near the Al-Rashid hotel. Iraqi television, which has its studios nearby, uses satellite dishes on the roof of the building. Coalition forces have already succeeding in disrupting transmission by bombing the roof of the ministry.
