Baghdad: US Marines sent a towering bronze statue of Saddam Hussein crashing to the
ground amid loud cheers and riotous scenes on a Central Baghdad square on April 9.
After US tanks stormed on to Al-Fardus (Paradise) Square late afternoon, dozens of
Iraqis quickly gathered to watch and warmly welcome the troops.
The crowd soon set about trying to destroy the monument.
One huge Iraqi took a sledgehammer to the massive marble plinth and after a few
mighty blows passed it on to eager men queuing for a go before returning to the task
himself.
It took the Marines a tank recovery vehicle with a crane to secure a chain round the
statue's neck and back upto pull it over.
Saddam, his right hand in a gesture of waving farewell, hung on in horizontal
position for a few seconds until another tug finally brought him to the
ground.
Dozens of Iraqis jumped on the figure shouting with joy.
It was the last statue to be erected to Saddam as part of the personality cult that
surrounded the "great leader", now believed to have fled into hiding.
Hand outstretched towards Jerusalem, the monument dominated the square where it was
inaugurated on April 28 last year, the day of the President's 65th
birthday.
The enormous bronze, perhaps six metres tall, stood atop a plinth of similar height
surrounded by 37 ornate white columns - he was born in 1937 - each bearing the
initials SH in Arabic.
