Soldiers' Morale Chipped Away in Tikrit [View All]

[Rose Siding]

TIKRIT, Iraq -- Heat and dust permeate Saddam Hussein's palace complex in Tikrit, a collection of imposing but crumbling structures that have been home for six months to hundreds of once-eager but now restless American soldiers.

In a huge walled compound on the banks of the Tigris, the palaces are shells of stone and cheap marble, their faux stained glass windows broken and the plumbing primitive. The dim lighting is matched by the gloomy feelings prevalent among the 4th Infantry Division troops.

Dozens of soldiers are crammed into bedrooms that once reportedly housed Saddam's mistresses in one of the hometown palaces. Neat rows of cots share space with knockoffs of gaudy 17th century French furniture favored by the ousted president.

The 100 or so soldiers share just two bathrooms and two showers, including one makeshift outdoor shower they built on their own initiative from plywood and a water tank.

They return from daily patrols and raids streaked in sweat from temperatures that reach more than 110 degrees, their clothes grimy, mouths, ears and throats scratchy from the ever-present desert dust.

"I hate this place," one soldier said as she washed her clothes by hand in a water cooler.
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