It's a barrel of something...you can make out the word Chlorine on it.
I feel very uncomfortable about these pics. It seems like a plant by a liberal to leave a rope dangling, hoping that FReepers will hang themselves on it by their comments, making us look like fools when he reveals the true source of these pictures later on. So be cautious. Anybody can take pictures. We should have pictures that can prove that they were taken in Iraq by a "real" FReeper. Notice the handle name of the FReeper was not given in the article. I smell a plant.