"The reception by the Iraqis was very warm and this was a big surprise to us. People are very nice," Staff Sergeant Daniel Attilio told AFP in Baghdad's Al-Fardus (Paradise) Square.

"It is really impressive to be in Baghdad. It is nothing like we imagined," said the Houston-born Attilio in the shadow of a huge statue of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein with his hand raised pointing towards Jerusalem.

The statue is surrounded by 37 columns, marking the year of Saddam's birth in 1937, each one bearing the initials SH in Arabic.

Attilio, a section leader for one of the amphibious assault vehicles that was one of the armoured column that rumbled into the square in the late afternoon, did say however that the advance to Baghdad had been "difficult at times."

Four tanks and a similar number of personnel carriers with marines atop arrived at 4:40 pm (1240 GMT) from the southeast at the huge roundabout, which the Palestine Hotel overlooks.

Dozens of journalists came out of the hotel, their base during the war that entered its 21st day Wednesday, to talk to the marines.

The hatches of the tanks were open with relaxed and smiling crew members exposed, though other marines on foot took up precautionary positions on the pavement.

Some Iraqi children plucked flowers to give to the US soldiers, who posed for photographs.

"I never expected to see myself in Baghdad and I never expected such a warm welcome," said Sergeant Grant Zaidz.

"We did not face any resistance whatsoever today. We just strolled in," the 20-year-old from Oregon said.

In the lobby of the Palestine Hotel, Corporal Matt Hanson and Private First Class Dustin Laderdorf were served Arabic coffee off a tray carried by an Iraqi waiter.

"It feels good, we've finally hit the end of the road. Today there were only a few shots at us from snipers but nothing major," said Hanson, 21, of Alexandria, Minnesota.

"We haven't seen any enemies in Baghdad and we heard that a lot of them (Iraqi soldiers) have surrendered.

"All the way into Baghdad, we were getting thumbs-up from the Iraqis, 'Thank you' and even 'Kill Saddam' in some cases," he said, politely turning down the small cup of bittersweet coffee.

Baghdad, Laderdorf said, looked "beautiful."

"I can assure you that we destroyed no more than what our mission required. All of the Iraqis were glad to see us coming in."

A group of Iraqis prepared to pull down the square's giant statue of Saddam with the help of an armoured US personnel carrier.

One man climbed on to the marble plinth and passed a thick rope round the neck of the statue.

Other men attacked the plinth with a sledgehammer, knocking off the cladding, before the personnel carrier backed up to the statue and a cable was put around the giant figure.

The enormous bronze statue was unveiled on April 28 to mark the Iraqi ruler's 65th birthday. It depicts him in civilian clothes, with one arm raised pointing in the direction of Jerusalem.

A huge portrait of Saddam over the entrance to the hotel was set alight, while people paraded around with loudspeakers, saying in Arabic: "Congratulations to the Iraqi people, congratulations to the Iraqi people!"

SPACE.WIRE