"Mr. Water"

Umm Qasr, Iraq

STANDING IN THE CENTER of Umm Qasr, a small group of American soldiers, accompanied by three Iraqi-American soldiers working with coalition forces, was quickly surrounded by Iraqi civilians. Many welcomed them. But one man, who bore a strong resemblance to Saddam Hussein, berated the American soldiers and their Iraqi colleagues. "You have destroyed our town," he said, addressing Ali, a member of the Free Iraqi Forces. "You have destroyed my property. Americans and British go home. No one wants you here. We never had these problems with Saddam Hussein."

His rant drew loud and violent protests from the dozens of Iraqis gathered around us. Without warning, a bearded, middle-aged man in tribal robes lunged at the Saddam defender. He grabbed the other man's shirt around the collar and began screaming. "What property? They did not touch your property. Where's the damage? Do not say these things. We want the Americans. We need the help. You work for Saddam Hussein."

Others joined in, harshly criticizing the Saddam look-alike. One young man who spoke some English took me aside to assure me that everyone in Umm Qasr supports the Americans and British. They are worried, though, that anyone who rises up will be crushed if Saddam survives.

As we talked, the second man dashed from the scene and returned 30 seconds later. His younger brother, carrying a heavy metal pipe, accompanied him. The man's wife came too, wailing loudly and begging him to walk away. Ali, backed up by his commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Dan Hammack, tried to settle the group, at one point reminding them that the Americans had powerful guns that would have to be used if the situation worsened. The crowd, now several hundred people, struggled to keep the combatants apart. After several tense minutes, the pro-Saddam Iraqi left--alone--walking slowly back to his house. The others quickly reported that he was well-known as a former Baath party official, one of a handful remaining in this section of liberated southern Iraq.

Even as we left, the bearded man told us that he would exact his revenge that night. "I will kill him," he said.

ROLLING INTO Umm Qasr earlier Sunday afternoon, our four-vehicle convoy was greeted with the kind of reception the White House and Iraqi Americans had long predicted. Iraqis here lined the streets--waving their arms, giving thumbs-up to American soldiers, cheering. "America good, Saddam bad," yelled one elderly man in tribal clothing from the side of the road. Graffiti on a wall sent the same message--"Dun Saddam, Good U.S.A."

Sixteen people--11 American soldiers, 3 members of the Free Iraqi Forces, and 2 reporters--drove through the port town for about an hour, assessing the situation here several days after the first combat units moved through. The reception was universally favorable. Tributes to Saddam Hussein have been defaced: Tile edifices were splashed with red paint; paintings of the dictator were ripped down from walls; the Baath party headquarters had been vandalized, epithets scribbled on the front wall.

But as the street fight in Umm Qasr suggests, the time we spent in southern Iraq was not all jubilation. Many Iraqis here, unaccustomed to their newfound liberty and the harsh reality it presents, seemed to be battling their own emotions, lurching unpredictably from gratitude to desperation to apprehension.

It was evident that the residents of Umm Qasr needed water. Even as we circled the town in military Humvees to the ovations of locals, the children were practicing their elementary English. "Mister . . . water," they said, cupping their hands in front of them. "Mister . . . water."

We drove around long enough that we began to pass the children we'd already seen, still lining the roadside. Their cries grew more frequent, as if they were calling someone by name. "Mr. Water, Mr. Water, Mr. Water."

When our convoy stopped, many Iraqis rushed the soldiers to shake their hands, thanking them for liberating the town. The Iraqis gathered around the three members of the Free Iraqi Forces--Iraqi exiles working with coalition troops--to talk about the long-term progress of the war and their short-term survival needs.

Although the Iraqis appeared grateful to have Arabic-speaking American soldiers, they immediately began venting their frustrations about food and water. "My children have not had water for seven days," said one man, waiving off a reporter trying to snap pictures. "We do not want people to see us like this. We need water."