Iraqi dictator's superyacht winds up as sailors' hotel

Then, in 2008, the yacht, with its gold-plated bathroom fixtures, a helipad and minisubmarine, went up for sale by a company partly owned by the King of Jordan. The Iraqi government fought the move and last year won the case in a French appeals court. The yacht was then sent to Greece for renovations, says Iraqi Transportation Minister Amer Abdul Jabar Ismail, and then sailed to the southern port of Basra. The boat is currently the property of Iraq's Ministry of Transportation.