Combat· Iraq War (Op IRAQI FREEDOM)
Azimiyah Palace
The seizure of the Azimiyah presidential palace was one of the Marine objectives in the fighting for Baghdad, the capture of one of Saddam Hussein's grand riverfront complexes as the Marines pushed into the capital from the east.
Marine units assaulted and cleared the palace grounds along the Tigris, taking one of the regime's seats of power amid the broader battle for the city. The palace, with its commanding position near the river, was both a military objective and a potent symbol of the fallen government, and its seizure marked another step in the dismantling of Saddam's rule. The Marines secured the complex against the scattered resistance that remained as the regime collapsed. Taking the Azimiyah palace was part of the methodical clearing of Baghdad's key sites, the occupation of the physical symbols of Baathist authority that signified the end of the old order in the Iraqi capital.
Record no. 747