...It's real purpose was as a shield for Saddam's underground bunker, which we entered through here. The Believers' Palace was cleverly built to act as a blast absorber for the bunker, which is buried 60 feet under it. 70 feet of concrete above ground, and 60 feet below made it virtually bomb proof from the air.
But it wasn't blast proof from the ground. The Army blew open the doors inside the service building.