US Army Warrant Officer Leslie 'Scott' Henry fishes in a lake surrounding a former palace of Saddam Hussein at the US Headquarters Camp Victory in western Baghdad. (Reuters: Peter Graff) (Image courtesy ABC News Australia)US Hands Over Saddam Hussein Palace After Staff Move To New Embassy -- Times Online
The United States is preparing to hand control of Saddam Hussein's Republican Palace in Baghdad to the Iraqi Government in one of the most symbolic examples of the country's increasing sovereignty.
Plans are also under way to turn over swaths of the green zone, which surrounds the palace, to the Iraqi authorities, with Iraqi forces expected to replace US troops at some checkpoints over the next year, according to sources inside the compound.
The transition is part of a process in which the Iraqi Government has taken full responsibility for security in 11 out of 18 provinces as its police and army become increasingly competent.
The move also underscores a shift in the relationship between Iraq and the US, which is moving from being an occupying power to having a regular diplomatic presence. The new US Embassy building will be the biggest of its kind in the world.
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My Comment: I guess they do not want to pay the rent anymore.