At least one person was killedand several people were badly burned when Iraqis, celebratingthe resumption of electricity, shot up a petrol tanker sendingwaves of fire through a petrol station in central Baghdad.
As US troops came in tanks to try to open the way forambulances and fire engines, people looking for relatives at thestation started chanting anti-American slogans and some wrestledwith soldiers in scenes often repeated in the increasinglylawless capital.
"All this has happened because there's no law here inBaghdad. There's no control and the Americans do nothing," Mr SalikAlai said.
"People have just lost their families, and they won'tlet them go inside. If America wants to help us what are theywaiting for? They haven't done anything yet."
Some witnesses said there was an exchange of fire betweenthe Iraqis and US troops, but most reported that the fire wasstarted after several people celebrated the resumption of powerin the capital's Allawi area.