Saddam's bed still scary for honeymooners

New York, Apr 21: Iraq's tourism industry is banking on Saddam Hussein's 'popularity' by offering the former dictator's bedroom as the honeymoon suite for 150 pounds. However, the idea hasn't sit well with longtime honeymoon planner Liliane Nash.

Nash, the president of Humbert Travel on Madison Ave, told New York Daily News: "In Iraq? Right now? Definitely not."

"The first thing about honeymoons is you don't want to be afraid. You want to make sure everything will be perfect.

"Even in the future I think it would leave a bad taste in your mouth. You couldn't possibly consider something like that," she said.

Iraqi officials want to revive their tourism industry by transforming Saddam's presidential palace into a world-class hotel.

The palatial boudoir is located in the town of Hillah, 60 miles from Baghdad.

With its Roman columns, chandeliers and gargantuan bathrooms, the palace is a striking example of excess, and one of several reserved for the exclusive pleasure of the former dictator, who was deposed in 2003 and executed in 2006.

Perched on top of a man-made hill overlooking the Euphrates, the building has seen better days: even lavatories were removed in the orgy of looting that followed the allied invasion of the country in 2003.

ANI