Saddam Hussein's capsized yacht picnic spot for sightseers in Iraq
A rusting yacht that capsized in a river in southern Iraq and once belonged to the country's former president Saddam Hussein, is now serving as a picnic destination, reported Reuters. Sightseers and fishermen now climb aboard the 1980s-built 121-meter "al-Mansur," to picnic and drink tea, reports said. Notably, the yacht, a symbol of Hussein's power and wealth, was never boarded by the former president.
Can't believe the yacht belonged to Saddam: Fisherman
Speaking to Reuters, a fisherman said, "I can't believe that this belonged to Saddam and now I'm the one moving around it." "This yacht is like a precious jewel, like a rare masterpiece you keep at home," said Zahi Moussa, a naval captain working with Iraq's Transport Ministry. "We feel sad that it looks like this," he added.
Yacht could accommodate 200 guests
Reportedly, during Iraq's invasion by the United States (US) in 2003, Hussein issued an order for the yacht to leave its mooring at Umm Qasr to Basra for safekeeping for a few weeks. However, the US forces targeted it, and the yacht later capsized in the Shatt al-Arab waterway. Around 200 people could stay in the yacht, per the report.
