Festive mood as Iraqis await U.S. troop exit - Los Angeles Times

Festive mood as Iraqis await U.S. troop exit - Los Angeles Times:
"By Caesar Ahmed, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
June 30, 2009
Reporting from Baghdad -- An old man blared on a trumpet, policemen danced in the back of their pick-up trucks and a singer from the days of Saddam Hussein trilled in a city park, all to celebrate the new era.

Monday night was a time for Iraqis to bask in their sovereignty as they counted down to today, the formal departure date of U.S. forces from their cities."