The Wars in the Gulf

After his defeat in the First Gulf War, Saddam Hussein made it clear that he didn’t like U.S. President George H.W. Bush. Following the war, with Saddam’s approval, a large mosaic was placed on the floor, near the entryway to the Al-Rashid Hotel. The artwork featured an unflattering portrait of George H.W. Bush and text calling the U.S. President a criminal. It was placed on the floor so that anyone who entered the hotel would walk over Bush’s face. The gesture is considered a severe insult in the Arab world. (The Al-Rashid was the Hotel where CNN broadcast from during the First Gulf War.)

During the Second War in Iraq, soldiers from the Third Infantry Division entered the hotel and found the mosaic. With hammers and chisels, the soldiers destroyed the mosaic and replaced it with a picture of Saddam. They kept some of the tiles as souvenirs. I obtained the tiles from several members of the 3rd ID.