Iraqi people celebrate freedom:"He killed millions"

[RonOnGuitar]

Iraqis Cheer Collapse of Saddam's Regime

52 minutes ago



By RAVI NESSMAN and DAVID ESPO, Associated Press Writers



BAGHDAD, Iraq - Their hour of freedom at hand, jubilant Iraqis celebrated the collapse of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s murderous regime on Wednesday, beheading a toppled statue of their longtime ruler in downtown Baghdad and embracing American troops as liberators.



"He killed millions of us," said one young Iraqi, spitting on one of countless portraits of Saddam scattered throughout the capital. Men hugged Americans in full combat gear and women held up babies so soldiers riding on tanks could kiss them.





Iraqis released decades of pent-up fury as U.S. forces solidified their grip on the city. Marine tanks rolled to the eastern bank of the Tigris River; the Army was on the western side of the waterway that curls through the ancient city.





Looting broke out in the capital as Iraqis, shedding their fear of the regime, entered government facilities and made off with furniture, computers, air conditioners and even military jeeps.

For the first time since Operation Iraqi Freedom was launched three weeks ago, Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf failed to appear before reporters with claims of glorious battlefield victories by Iraqi troops. And for the first time in decades, Iraqis were defacing images of the man who ruled brutally for nearly a quarter century.



One wall painting was spraypainted with black devil's horns, eyeglasses and a black chin beard. Others were set ablaze.



"We are relieved because for years we lived in anxiety and fear," said Shamoun George, a resident of Baghdad's Karrada district, as American troops entered the area.



"Bush, Bush, Thank you," chanted small bands of youth in Saddam City, a predominantly Shiite area of eastern Baghdad.

At the city center, a crowd gathered at the base of a large statue of Saddam inside al-Firdos (Paradise) Square. Several men climbed up a ladder, tied a thick rope around the statue like a noose, then tried to pull it over.



When that failed, the Marines brought an M88 tank recovery vehicle into position. A chain was attached to the statue, which was toppled to the cheers of watching Iraqis. Quickly, they swarmed over the downed icon, stomping it. Not long later, several men were seen dragging its severed head through the streets, and Iraqis used a sledgehammer to attack the pedestal where it once stood.



The scene was televised worldwide to an audience that included President Bush (news - web sites).



At the same time Baghdad rejoiced, celebration broke out in Irbil, far to the north. There, hundreds of men clapped and waved yellow flags, the banner of the Kurdistan Democratic Party.



There was joy, too, in the Kurdish city of Sulaymaniyah, base of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.

That celebration, and statements by Baghdad residents to American reporters, underscored the complexity of establishing a postwar government in Iraq.



"We will never allow them to stay. Whatever he (Saddam) has done, he is a Muslim and we are a Muslim nation," said Ali al-Obeidim, a store owner in Baghdad.



Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites) have made clear the forces will stay only as long as necessary.



Iraqis pose with a US soldier as they step on a ripped poster of President Saddam Hussein in central Baghdad.





Iraqis hit a statue of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) with their sandals in Baghdad



http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=540&e=1&u=/ap/20030409/ap_on_re_mi_ea/war_rdp

[Seismic Anamoly]

[LarreeMP3]

One wall painting was spraypainted with black devil's horns, eyeglasses and a black chin beard.

[MIKE BURN]

(notice the green Tissues, the colors of Jihad)

Quote:

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The USA has declared war on Islam. The USA has perpetrated the worst terrorist crimes against Muslims in Iraq and Palestine.



Al-Watan

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[Social Spit]

They are unveiled.



Funny, how do waving pieces of BLUE cloth constitute the waving of GREEN cloth?

[MIKE BURN]

Need evidence what GREEN means?

Quote:

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Suicide bomb kills US marines





A number of US marines have been killed and others seriously wounded in a suicide bomb attack on a military checkpoint in Baghdad.

US marines spokesman Major Matt Baker said that "some" servicemen had been killed, although he could not say how many.



The BBC's Paul Wood in Baghdad said that he heard a series of loud explosions not far from the Hotel Palestine in central Baghdad, where the majority of the foreign press in the city is based.



US marines who said they witnessed the incident told our correspondent that an Iraqi man had approached the checkpoint and detonated a number of grenades.



Smoke can now be seen rising from the scene of the incident.

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[Social Spit]

It's probably best to quit plexing about this, and try to figure out constructive things you can say and do. Maybe make some more moosik, that way you can express yourself better.



Go buy yourself a Doppelbock Beer.

[Seismic Anamoly]

[Sound Of LoMo]

WARNING!

Stay clear of him kids, coz this American Seismic guy is a real wierdo!

[Social Spit]

There was some strong discussion in this forum, but none of it has been personal, Mike and Zap are my FRIENDS, I'll argue with them as I please and it is never personal with them.



However: Calling us "American Twats" and such is personal- So I'll just say this once: Eat my @#%$ you skagbreath.

[Sound Of LoMo]

ANDRE THE WELSH TWAT! THOUGH BEING AMERICAN, YOU PROBABLY HAVN'T HEARD OF WALES.



I'm sorry to upset anyone but the attitude of "some" Americans on this board makes me sick, and their ignorance to much to bare. I'm a sensative and caring person and everyone i know here in the UK agrees with me. I don't think you appreciate how many people in the UK are against this war and against OUR DUMBASS PRIME MINISTERS participation. America is becoming the most disliked country on the planet from where we are sitting! THE NEW WORLD ORDER MY ASS!



YOU EGOTISTICAL AMERICAN PATRIOTS ARE BECOMING TO MUCH , AND YOU ARE TRYING TO HARD TO GET OTHER COUNTRIES TO THINK THE SAME AS YOU. WORLD F.U.C.K.I.N.G DOMINATION EH?

LoMo Productions

[Seismic Anamoly]