Civilians defy Saddam as regime loses control

Iraqi civilians have torn up and spat at portraits of Saddam Hussein in multiple acts against the Saddam regime in Baghdad today.

Crowds of Iraqis have also stormed government buildings, including Iraq's Olympic headquarters, in a looting frenzy today as appeared Saddam Hussein had completely lost control of his capital city.

As US forces moved through one neighbourhood after another, crowds of Baghdad residents seized the chance to plunder military bases and government buildings, making off with computers, bookshelves, tables and even Iraqi military vehicles.

The buildings targeted included Iraq’s Olympic headquarters – the effective headquarters of Saddam’s elder son Uday – the UN offices in the Canal Hotel and the traffic police headquarters.

On Palestine Street, where the Baath party held rallies as recently as a few weeks ago, gangs of youths and middle-aged men looted the warehouses of the Trade Ministry, making off with air conditioners, ceiling fans, refrigerators and TV sets.

Hundreds of Iraqis cheered US troops as they passed through Saddam City, a poor Shiite neighbourhood of north-east Baghdad. “Thank you, thank you, Mr Bush!” one shouted.

“Come see, this is freedom ... this is the criminal, this is the infidel,” said one elderly Iraqi man as he beat a Saddam poster with his shoe.

“This is the destiny of every traitor ... he killed millions of us. Oh people, this is freedom.”

A younger man spat on the portrait, and several others launched kicks at it.

Another man walked out of a nearby compound carrying a black and gold vase almost the same size as himself.

Some looters ran out of what appeared to be a government office with flowers, boxes and clocks. Another walked away with a PC screen.

The Arab language satellite TV station Lebanese Broadcasting Corp said there was no sign of Iraqi government or military presence in the city.

LBC’s correspondent Sultan Suleiman said neither Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf nor any ministry “minders” had shown up at the Palestine Hotel where hundreds of journalists are staying.

The Iraqi government assigns “minders” to accompany journalists.

Suleiman said he toured Baghdad today without being escorted by any Iraqi information ministry officials. He reported on the looting of some government buildings in the capital.

The US Army’s 3rd Infantry Division on the western side of Baghdad reported only sporadic fighting overnight, with small groups of Iraqi fighters firing assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and some mortars at US troops. There were no reports of US injuries.

Maj Gen Buford Blount, the commander of the US 3rd Infantry, visited a brigade command post set up at the New Presidential Palace, on the River Tigris in central Baghdad.

Col David Perkins, the Division’s 2nd Brigade commander, told Blount that his forces can go anywhere in the city whenever they want and meet only sporadic sniping.

“Last night was dramatically quieter than the night before and this morning is dramatically quieter than yesterday,” Perkins said.

He said most of the forces still fighting appeared to be Special Republican Guard, Fedayeen militia, Baath Party loyalists and volunteers from neighbouring countries.

The two commanders then discussed what buildings could be used to house military units and a new government to replace Saddam Hussein.

“That’s the next mental jump, is for the Iraqis to realise that even if he is still alive, he’s not in charge anymore,” Perkins said.

Blount said he was pleased with the operation so far, but would not estimate how much longer it would take for US forces to finish rooting out Saddam loyalists.

“We still have potential for a lot of fighting,” Blount said. “We need to make sure the people of Baghdad are secure and we’re trying to limit the collateral damage and we hope the people will help us do that by keeping the terrorist element under control.”

The majority of regular Iraqi army soldiers and Republican Guard troops were believed to have deserted and gone home. Uniforms, boots and weapons littered the streets and filled fighting positions throughout the city.

Iraqi prisoners, most of them in civilian clothes, described to US troops how they were recruited, loaded onto buses and then dumped on the streets to fight with little training or direction.

Several Syrian fighters were captured, some with documents declaring that they were supposed to be suicide bombers.

A Syrian prisoner claimed 5,000 more Syrians had been taken by bus to Baghdad to help defend it.

Brig Gen Vincent Brooks, US Central Command spokesman, said yesterday that he fully expected looting in Baghdad, as well as elsewhere where there is “a vacuum in terms of control”.

“I think as time goes on, more law and order will be established. Ideally that goes by way of the Iraqi populations taking care of themselves,” he said.

Thick black smoke rose from several areas, but more and more of the fires started by the Iraqis to cloak targets in the city have fizzled out in the past few days, possibly because the fuel ran out and the Iraqis were unable to replenish it.