Camp Victory handed over to Iraq: Barry Johnson

The US military said that it has handed over Camp Victory, a sprawling base at the edge of Baghdad that used to be the headquarters for the US military, to the Iraqi government.The handover of the sprawling complex of grandiose former palaces of Saddam Hussein, encircled by 27 miles of blast walls, comes as American troops prepare to pull out by the end of the month after nearly nine years.The Victory Base Complex was officially signed over to the receivership of the Iraqi government this morning. The base is no longer under U.S. control and is now under the full authority of the government of Iraq, Col. Barry Johnson, a spokesman for the U.S. forces said.He added, There was no ceremony, just a signing of paperwork akin to the closing of a home sale.The Iraqi claimants to the compound are numerous, and the ideas for its use are many, ranging from the somber -- military barracks, Hussein museums and cultural centers -- to the more business-minded, such as five-star hotels or an amusement park, The Wall Street Journal reported.Another dilemma looms -- what to do with Husseins markings throughout the camp, originally a complex of palaces and artificial lakes built for the glory of the ex-strongman.