"We do not want Americans who kill our civilians, said Sheikh Ibrahim al-Nahma, immam of the Zyab mosque, the most important in Mosul.

Shootings in this strategic, Arab-dominated northern city this week have left around 20 people dead and scores wounded according to witnesses and hospital personnel.

The United States Central Command in Qatar said "small numbers" of people died and that US troops were first fired upon by gunmen who used public protests as cover and were shooting to kill.

Regarding the war, Sheikh Nahma said: "The Americans and the British got rid of (Iraqi president) Saddam Hussein for the good of Israel. We do not want to be colonised.

"Allah said: 'Do not trust Christians or Jews.' We are asking the population to unite and repel the foreign forces. Allah can destroy the US-British forces," the cleric said.

Elsewhere in Mosul, traffic jams have reappeared. Car horns blared, drivers insulted each other, and traffic cops tried to keep things moving.

"No wounded for the moment." The announcement came from Ayad al-Ramadhani, director of Al-Zahrawi hospital which treated those shot by US troops Tuesday during a protest outside the government offices.

"The Americans lost a lot in these shootings. They have psychological damage to repair," the doctor said.

On a brighter note, checkpoints on the roads to Mosul were lifted Thursday and armed Kurds manning them disappeared.

Buses began running again and shops, barbers, and restaurants have reopened.

On the sidewalks, vegetable, spice, and shoe stalls again competed for space, local markets were crowded and kids played football (soccer) on a local pitch.

Cafe terraces hosted discussions by neighborhood dignitaries and clouds of smoke now came from refuse being burned instead of bombs.

Medical authorities said sanitation was in pretty good shape and estimated there was a month's worth of food reserves despite looting of warehouses.

Gasoline (petrol), however, was in short supply despite this being one of Iraq's major oil-producing regions.

At some service stations, Iraqis waited for up to four hours in long lines with jerricans in hand, since prices have doubled on parallel markets.

"In a week, the national petrol company has only delivered 60,000 liters (15,850 US gallons) of gas, compared with 170,000 normally," said a pump attendent named Salem Khalil.

Civil servants, including police, firefighters, municipal and utilities workers were back on the job and on Saturday, schools and universities were expected to begin reopening as well, senior police official Hikmat Makhmud said.

On Thursday, US Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Waltemeyer called for public workers to return to their posts, and according to a spokesman, Captain James Jarvis, low-level Baath Party members who have critical expertise would retain their jobs.

He said coalition forces that toppled Saddam Hussein and routed Baath Party loyalists in Mosul -- which backed the former strongman -- now sought to convince the population to lay down its arms and work for the common good.

But the civilian deaths this week remain fresh in the minds of many, and when a merchant complained the price of potatoes had begun to fall, a client retorted: "The price of innocent blood is still cheaper."

Two US vehicles driving through the market were met with open jeers by Mosul youths.

"We don't want the Americans, we don't want an occupation," stressed 18-year-old Ahmed Suleiman.

SPACE.WIRE