"We're the only part of Baghdad that didn't welcome the American soldiers with flowers," he said with a smile. "Of course, we paid a price."

Aadhamiyah, in the northwest of the capital, was the scene of a day-long battle Thursday that, according to residents, pitted US troops, fresh from their triumphant tour of central Baghdad the day before, against a dedicated mini-army of Iraqis and Arab volunteers.

Caught in the crossfire, the Sunni mosque of Abu Hanifa bore the scars. The minaret was nearly cracked in two from the tank fire, inside columns barely remained standing and the inner courtyard had gaping holes that could have been the work of attack helicopters.

Residents here said the head cleric at the mosque, Sheikh Watheq al-Obeidi, was taken prisoner with his two sons by US troops.

Jafar, a former trainer for the national swimming team, refused to accept that many Baghdadis welcomed US troops.

"One mustn't be fooled by people's smiles. Inside, our hearts are bleeding," he insisted. "We refuse to accept the occupation and collapse of our country."

Neighbors said that among the dead were some civilians and Iraqi troops but also "fedayeen," or "patriots," from Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.

"The fedayeen came from outlying neighborhoods because they knew people here would be more supportive," said Riyad Abdullah, a spice merchant.

But the Arab volunteers failed to understand their guns and grenades were no match for US firepower. Estimates are that up to 30 people died here Thursday.

"We were pleased to see the neighborhood resist, but we suffered, and many didn't stay here because of the air strikes. Now we've got to return to normal," Abdullah concluded.

With chaos engulfing much of Baghdad due to a leadership vacuum, Aadhamiyah quickly organized a 30-strong army of volunteers -- some armed with revolvers, others simply with chunks of wood -- to protect the neighborhood from looting.

At Friday prayers, "a doctor came to tell us that hospitals had been looted and some patients had left their beds. The imam said one shouldn't take what belongs to everyone," Abdullah said.

In the absence of police and other authorities, the neighborhood committee has been making rounds to clear trash and carry out other basic municipal functions.

"For 300 to 400 years we've taken pride in our neighborhood," said another resident.

"This is where the mother of caliph Harun al-Rashid is buried," he said, referring to the fabled Abbasid ruler who died in 809.

Life has returned somewhat to normal. Men chat, play dominoes and sip tea behind the blown-out windows of a coffeehouse.

But in the neighborhood's alleyways, debris from the battle still blocked traffic. The imam's blue Volkswagen Beetle lay in the ruin, along with around 10 other charred cars.

Children briefly came up with a game: exploring the inside of an abandoned US tank. But to their disappointment, troops came back Sunday and hauled it away.

Hamid Mohammad Ahmed's family saw the wall of their house blasted in by tank fire during last week's fighting.

"There was a huge noise and we ran out screaming," said the grandfather.

"Sorry, sorry," the US troops said, according to Ahmed. The family, terrified, understood them to be saying, "Souri, Souri," which means "Syrian, Syrian" in Arabic.

"They were looking for fedayeen," he said.

Many residents said they had made room in their homes for the fighters. But none were left now.

"They've been killed, run away or been taken prisoner," Ahmed said.

SPACE.WIRE