U.S. Marines Tear Down Saddam Portraits

AP | 3/21/03 | ELLEN KNICKMEYER

[kattracks]

SAFWAN, Iraq (AP) - U.S. Marines tore down Saddam Hussein in a screeching pop of metal and bolts Friday, rigging winch chains to the giant street portraits in newly taken southern Iraq.

Crowds of men and boys watched, briefly joining Maj. David ``Bull'' Gurfein in a new cheer. ``Iraqis, Iraqis, Iraqis!'' Gurfein yelled, pumping his fist in the air.

``We wanted to send a message that Saddam is done,'' said Gurfein, a New York native in the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.

``People are scared to show a lot of emotion. That's why we wanted to show them this time we're here, and Saddam is done,'' he said.

Marines next to him attached metal ropes on the front of their Jeeps to one metal portrait of Saddam, backing up to peel the Iraqi leader's black and white image off the metal frame.

The Marines arrived in Safwan, just across the Kuwait border, after Cobra attack helicopters, attack jets, tanks, 155 mm howitzers and sharpshooters cleared the way along Route 80, the main road into Iraq.

Safwan, 375 miles south of Baghdad, is a poor, dirty, wrecked town pocked by shrapnel from the last Gulf War. Reminders of the first war abound, among them a leftover missile that detonated inside a soccer field a year ago, killing eight children.

Iraqi forces in the area sporadically fired mortars and guns for hours Thursday and Friday. Most townspeople hid, although residents brought forth a wounded little girl, her palm bleeding after the new fighting. Another man said his wife was shot in the leg by the Americans.

A few men and boys ventured out, putting makeshift white flags on their pickup trucks or waving white T-shirts out truck windows.

``Americans very good,'' Ali Khemy said. ``Iraq wants to be free.''

Some chanted, ``Ameriki! Ameriki!''

Many others in the starving town just patted their stomachs and raised their hands, begging for food.

A man identifying himself only as Abdullah welcomed the arrival of the U.S. troops: ``Saddam Hussein is no good. Saddam Hussein a butcher.''

An old woman shrouded in black - one of the few women outside - knelt toward the feet of Americans, embracing an American woman. A younger man with her pulled her away, giving her a warning sign by sliding his finger across his throat.

In 1991, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died after prematurely celebrating what they believed was their liberation from Saddam after the Gulf War. Some even pulled down a few pictures of Saddam then - only to be killed by Iraqi forces.

Gurfein playfully traded pats with a disabled man and turned down a dinner invitation from townspeople.

``Friend, friend,'' he told them in Arabic learned in the first Gulf War.

``We stopped in Kuwait that time,'' he said. ``We were all ready to come up there then, and we never did.''

The townspeople seemed grateful this time.

``No Saddam Hussein!'' one young man in headscarf told Gurfein. ``Bush!''

[LibWhacker]

Blow up his statues, too, boys!

[angkor]

Maj David 'Bull' Gurfein, of New York City, right, with 1st Marine Expeditionnary Force, tears down a portrait of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) in the southern border city of Safwan, Iraq (news - web sites), Friday, March 21, 2003. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours)

U.S. Sgt Jason Lewis, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, C company, of Denver, Co, smiles as a military vehicle pulls down with cable a portrait of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (news - web sites), in the southern border city of Safwan, Friday, March 21, 2003. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours)

[SamAdams76]

I think this will be the general reaction of most Iraqis once Saddam's goons and loyal henchmen are cleared out of Baghdad. They will be initially glad to see us and will initially thankful for what we did to liberate them. Of course, someday, they will start to hate and resent us like most of the rest of the world (i.e. France), but we can enjoy the good feelings while they last and forever know that we did the right thing by these people while others (i.e. France) stood by and did nothing.

[Mister Baredog]

``No Saddam Hussein!'' one young man in headscarf told Gurfein. ``Bush!''

GOD BLESS AMERICA!It sure makes me feel proud to be American. I hope these stories make the mainstream media, so far nothing.

[jigsaw]

Blow up his statues, too, boys!

And all the photos of Peter Jennings, etc. forcefully displayed in homes.

[ACAC]

I saw these pictures on NBC. The Iraqi people were helping the soldiers tear down the Saddam signs.

[SunStar]

[piasa]

That would make a nice floorcloth. A pity all that talent was wasted making portraits of an arsehole.

[homeschool mama]

**An old woman shrouded in black - one of the few women outside - knelt toward the feet of Americans, embracing an American woman. A younger man with her pulled her away, giving her a warning sign by sliding his finger across his throat. **

Hmmm...

[HairOfTheDog]

Earlier shot of your first scene:

[af_vet_rr]

An old woman shrouded in black - one of the few women outside - knelt toward the feet of Americans, embracing an American woman. A younger man with her pulled her away, giving her a warning sign by sliding his finger across his throat.

In 1991, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died after prematurely celebrating what they believed was their liberation from Saddam after the Gulf War. Some even pulled down a few pictures of Saddam then - only to be killed by Iraqi forces.

That speaks volumes right there. These "peace" protesters do not realize just how scared the Iraqi population is of Hussein. The Iraqis remember the first time they celebrated, we pulled out and a lot of them died or disappeared. I think once the Iraqi people see that we are going to finish the job this time, you'll see a lot more cheering and a lot more jubilation. Then a lot of waiting for us to hand out food. Quite a few appeared to be borderline starving.

[MarMema]

I love this, read it earlier on Fox website.

"Friend, friend". Our Marines are second to none.

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

I wonder if they had a little target practice too?

[maxwellp]

FoxNews did show the American soldiers, along with some Iraqi citizens pulling down Saddam's picture. Then it showed the American soldiers shaking hands with the Iraqi citizens who seemed extraordinarily happy to see them. It brought to mind pictures I've seen in old Life magazines of our American military being welcomed in Europe during WWII. I think these Iraqi folks will remember for years to come. The politicians - well we all know about politicians. A P.S. to Iraqi citizens - treat your new found freedom with great responsibility and hopefully, we will one day see you posting on FreeRepublic.

[AmericanInTokyo]

PHOTOS YOU WILL NOT! SEE ON AL JAZEERA WEBSITE (they are sticking with the poor civilian (1) injury in a Baghdad hospital.)

[Ichneumon]

[``No Saddam Hussein!'' one young man in headscarf told Gurfein. ``Bush!'']

GOD BLESS AMERICA!It sure makes me feel proud to be American.

I have to wonder though -- after two generations of oppression and fear, how much of this is genuine thankfulness, and how much is just their reflexive belief that the "new boss" expects to be kowtowed to just like the old one?

Their expectations at this point are probably like the line from the old "Who" song: "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss."

It may take quite some time for the true changes in their situation to sink in.

[Mister Baredog]

Iraqi citizens pulling down Saddam's picture.

This is the scene I want to see repeated over and over. Lord knows there are enough of those God awful things!

[Mister Baredog]

It may take quite some time for the true changes in their situation to sink in.

Your point is well taken. I'm hopeful that with millions of expatriates who have succeeded throughout the world will be helpful. That's part of what is helping Afghanistan crawl out of the hole it was in. Iraq is going to be better no matter what, it doesn't get worse than Saddam.