Iraqis put contempt for troops on display:

"Since U.S. forces drove to Baghdad and overthrew President Saddam Hussein in April 2003, the 138,000 American soldiers stationed here have lost their status as liberators in the eyes of most Iraqis. Polling by the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority has chronicled a steady souring of opinion, with the most recent surveys showing about 80 percent of Iraqis with an unfavorable opinion of U.S. troops."

The following incident is a telling example of where things went wrong:

"'Look at that soldier. He is shaking,' a boy shouted, pointing at a young U.S. soldier wearing yellow-tinted goggles.

'That's because he was with them in the convoy when the bomb went off,' another boy said. 'He was frightened. Let's talk to him, cool him down, so he can forget.'

The boys joked and tried to attract the soldier's attention with an attempt at English phrases. The soldier smiled faintly and talked back, correcting their pronunciation.

'Stay away from him, and don't point at the Humvees,' an adult scolded. 'I'm afraid they will not understand and they will think you are talking bad about them and they will get angry. Stop it.'"