A video tour of dictators' digs

Posted on Wednesday, February 13, 2008 4:53 PM ET
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By Robert Windrem, NBC News Producer

The Versailles Château in France, the Grand Peterhof Palace in Russia and the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany are all over-the-top palaces built at enormous taxpayer expense. But, in many ways, those grand old European estates can’t compare to the architectural extravaganzas built by the 20th Century’s most notorious dictators. 

An NBC News video analysis of “dictators’ digs,” compiled with satellite photos, unveils the decadent lives of the rich and infamous.

In Iraq, there are Saddam Hussein’s rococo palaces, 74 in all, many of which now house US soldiers. In North Korea, Kim Jong-il’s palaces feature exquisite pools and canals, well-manicured grounds and winding paths for reflection-a far cry from the living conditions of the rest of his impoverished nation.

President Bashar Al-Assad of Syria is no slouch, either. His palace is built into a mountain, for security, and sports a helipad at the end of a straight drive.  In Libya, Col. Muammar al-Gaddafi has a ceremonial palace in downtown Tripoli, built by the king he deposed. And hundreds of miles to the east is a giant tent, his opulent Bedouin palace.

By contrast, Cuba’s Fidel Castro appears to live much more modestly. His simple house could fit into a typical American suburb. Enjoy the tour...

Comments

Perhaps in the interests of objectivity and fairness (if indeed there is any in your network) you could also show aerial views of the mansions  and palaces of western leaders such as Bush or Cheney...

David Sketchley (Sunday, February 17, 2008 12:14 PM)

Where is the White House? And the Bush compound in Kennebunkport? And Cheney's house in Maryland? You guys need to do better research next time....

Igor Karkarov (Sunday, February 17, 2008 11:08 PM)

The big difference is there is millions of other people in the US that can afford to live lavishly, not just the one dictator. Maybe you should do a little research into the living conditions in these countries.

Brian Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (Sunday, March 02, 2008 2:19 PM)



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