Saddam's work left unfinished

Saddam's work left unfinished

The al-Rahman mosque stands far from completed in western Baghdad's Mansour district.

Started in 1998 under Saddam Hussein's rule, the mosque was due to be completed by 2004. Those plans were, however, cut short by the US-led invasion of 2003.

It was supposed to be one of the largest mosques in the country, if not the world - and a tribute to Saddam's power. Here's a photo that gives greater perspective.

Excerpting a Christian Science Monitor article from 2003:

Billions of dollars in the making, the mosque now rests half built, cranes still looming above the scaffolding, presenting its neighbors with a conundrum: You can destroy pictures and statues of Hussein, but you can never destroy a mosque.

We're told it will be finished someday, but right now, on the eve of elections Iraqis hope will bring stability to the country, the project seems to be one of extravagance, rather than priority.