Everyone was friendly except the kids, who all want to be future Fedayeen

U.S. troops face gunfire, taunts in Saddam's town

TIKRIT, Iraq, Dec 18 (Reuters) - The children of Saddam Hussein's hometown are still singing their ex-president's praises, even in front of U.S. soldiers that are coming under sporadic gun fire from those loyal to the captured leader.

"With our hearts, with our souls, we will redeem you Saddam," chanted a group of Iraqi children as infantry troops walked past, searching for a gunman who had just fired several rounds at them. snip

At the end of the morning foot patrol, Sergeant Jeff Loehr, congratulated his comrades.

"Everyone seemed friendly," he said, despite the shooting incident.

"Except the kids, who all want to be future Fedayeen," he said, a reference to Saddam's feared militia that is suspected of organising insurgencies against the occupying coalition.

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