Good to know the kiddies are having fun on our tax dollars.


Jul 18, 5:44 AM EDT

U.S. Soldiers Blow Up Saddam Statue

By JAMIE TARABAY
Associated Press

TIKRIT, Iraq (AP) -- With a thunderous explosion from 12 pounds of plastic explosives, the U.S. military toppled a 30-foot statue of Saddam Hussein on horseback from its perch overlooking the dictator's hometown Friday.

Pvt. Reshaun Richardson of the 555th Combat
Engineering brigade, known as the "Triple Nickel," pushed the button that sent the Saddam statue pitching over near the gate to his former palace compound in his northern hometown of Tikrit.

"It felt real good," said Richardson, of Dothan, Ala. "There were lots of smiles around,and I had the biggest of them all."

The statue - depicting the ousted leader mounted on a rearing horse and brandishing a sword as if charging into combat - was made of solid bronze and stood near the main gate of the his huge palace complex overlooking the city of his birth.

The head of the statue was taken to 4th Infantry division headquarters in Tikrit as a trophy, with the rest of the bronze to be shipped to Fort Hood, Texas, where it will be melted down and turned into a memorial "for all of Task Force Iron Horse who contributed to this war...