BAGHDAD (AFP) - More than 100 children held in a prison celebrated their freedom Tuesday as US marines rolled into northeast Baghdad amid chaotic scenes which saw civilians loot weapons from an army compound, a US officer said.
Around 150 children spilled out of the jail after the gates were opened as a US military Humvee vehicle approached, Lieutenant Colonel Fred Padilla told an AFP correspondent travelling with the Marines 5th Regiment.

"Hundreds of kids were swarming us and kissing us," Padilla said.

"There were parents running up, so happy to have their kids back."

"The children had been imprisoned because they had not joined the youth branch of the Baath party," he alleged. "Some of these kids had been in there for five years."

The children, who were wearing threadbare clothes and looked under-nourished, walked on the streets crossing their hands as if to mimic handcuffs, before giving the thumbs up sign and shouting their thanks.

It was not clear who had opened the doors of the prison.

Civilians also took advantage of the collapse of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's authority to grab weapons from an army base, said Group Sergeant Jeff Treiber.

As marines were alerted by radio that civilians had seized weapons, Treiber warned that anyone seen to be armed could be a target of US-British coalition forces.

"With the weapons they are becoming combatants," said Treiber. "If they don't take the weapons they will be fine."

Other residents stole air conditioning units, television sets and furniture from government buildings in an echo of the looting that was seen in the southern city of Basra.

A 19-year-old called Haider said people had been ransacking government compounds since the morning to steal weapons and furniture.

"Since the morning, nine o'clock, they have been looting. They are stealing weapons and I took three doors," he said.

At one stage the marines opened fire after coming under attack from snipers, leaving at least two civilians wounded.

One man needed treatment for gunshot wounds to his stomach and left arm.

But his friend, Abdul Amir Jaffa, said he did not resent the Americans despite the shooting.

"Americans are coming to free us," he told AFP.

The marines became increasingly edgy as crowds of people took to the streets to observe their progress.

"It's a problem with so many people in the area. Its hard to tell if there are enemy forces among them. You have to be careful returning fire with civilians all over the place," Lieutenant Anthony Sousa said.

Troops from the Marines' 1st Expeditionary Force also entered Baghdad on the east of the city Tuesday as thousands of armoured vehicles and Humvees poured into the capital for a showdown with Saddam Hussein's troops.

Now that these kids have been released from jail, I'm sure they'll eventually get a chance to work 12 hour shifts making shoes for Nike or Converse once Iraq is made safe for international investors.

Then these kids will get an opportunity to be free working at extremely low wages and miserable working conditions.

Of course, that will happen only after we liberate the oil fields of Iraq from Saddam Hussein, our CIA installed ally in the Middle East.

The Crusaders of the New Millenium (as Bush himself even said)

error

You people are just hurting your selves trying to make the US look evil.

Get this: we didn't imprison those children. Saddam did.

Get this: Saddam didn't free those children. We did.

Get this: you are losing. You're not getting your way. The coalition is winning the war.

Get this: no matter how much you say you don't support Saddam, you really do.

NOW HEAR THIS:

EVERYONE LOSES IN A WAR. WHAT THE FUCK IS UNCLEAR ABOUT THAT?????

error

...substitute for rational debate?

I know! Pointless profanity!

If all you have left is swearing, I win the argument.

error

See the Stars and Stripes on her headband?

Doesn't quite fit your "sad little brown person upset over mean old US imperialism" ideal, does she?

The only problem with the above photograph is that some skilled computer artist put the headband on the child above.

She wasn't wearing it when the photographer took the picture.

>>skilled computer artist

Not very skilled IMHO. The headband photo is an obvious, poorly executed, fake. Kind of like the KFC photos.

What version of Photoshop did you use, Jack?

Look at the top border of the pic....see the black line? Notice that the flag headband extends into the border? The headband was added AFTER the picture was taken. The picture is doctored obviously.

Dumb shits like daveman and Fresca are so stupid they could not even see this. Or...maybe...they are the Nazi Freepers who doctored this snap shot.

One pic IS worth 10,000 words. This sure tells me a lot about the pro-word side. FUCK THE LYING CREEPS.

The lefties attempt to discredit the real photos of liberated Iraq by posting obviously doctored photos.

Nice try, Comreds.

Man, what a lame comment. I think the KFC things are funny as hell. They sure as fuck are not published to make it look like a real news photo of a kid wearing a US flag head ban.

What the fuck does that tell you, shit for brains? Hmmmmm.....can you spell:

P-R-O-P-A-G-A-N-D-A?

Whoever put this image together does not know photoshop very well. It's a crappy hack job.

Compare the job done on the photo that got the LA-Times reporter fired last week – In that photo, it was very difficult to detect the fakery.

I think this photo is such an obvious fake because it was planted by some leftie and WAS INTENDED to be discovered as a fake.

Where IS the Iraqi disinformation spin minister when you guys need him?

....or did you get caught when you knowingly posted a doctored photo?

Your explanation for the phoney photo of the Iraqi child with the US flag headban, as I understand it, is that some leftie did it and posted it to discredit the right?

YOU HAVE SHIT FOR BRAINS IF YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT BULL SHIT.

Getting desperate are you, Jack-off?

You're not a very effective disinformation officer.

The bus to Siberia will be leaving shortly - have a nice trip, Comred.

...glad to learn that you were on it, Baby Killer Lover.

We must work together to assasinate bush before he destroys our country!

You can just take that shit and shove it asshole. One, such a suggestion completely counters the intent of being propeace and antiwar, and two, i don't think you mean it anyways, i think you're just some shill trying to smear the indymedia people. Fuck that, fuck you. You want to plot treason do it somewhere else.

To contact 'dave' at his address.
Ever hear of a 'subversive watch list'?
Sign up now.
see ya.

Ha ha!

Good one.

Score on that coward who won't post under the same name.

This should have been done in 1992 when it was obvious that sanctions weren't going to work and that France was enjoying the fact that the UN imposed sanctions were making the US look bad. Too bad this took so long, but better late than never.

gee, work for peasant wages, or sit and starve in jail away from your parents...hmm..huh...let me think which is best.