Iraq - Art Patrons

Any visitor to Iraq (no, you can't fly over and drop bombs to be considered a tourist) marvels at the statues and monuments to the great leader. It's fairly common for middle east dictators to plaster their likenesses on everything from car stickers to the sides of apartment buildings. If you ever wonder why those statues of those military men in Basra are pointing across the Shatt al-Arab waterway, that's the direction of their enemy, Iran. But Saddam and Iraq are over the top. He claims not only at least 50 palaces but is working on the world's largest mosque, a double-decker bridge, the tallest tower in the Middle East in Bagdad and a monument to the "Mother of all battles." He is already famous for his "Celebration," a 24-ton crossed-swords monument built from the melted down guns of Iranians.