An Iraqi woman and her son walk by anti-American graffiti in Baghdad's Azamiyah neighborhood

Additional Reporting By Imam El-Leithy, Namir Hadad, IOL Correspondents

 BAGHDAD, November 29 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – U.S. President George W. Bush’s secret whirlwind visit to Iraq was received by mixed feelings of suspicion and derision among many Iraqis.

After news made the rounds that Bush left the war-scarred country, Mohanad Abdel-Rahman, a mosque imam in western Baghdad, said staying for two and a half hours under tight security measures is far from being a victory parade.

"He came here to lift the morale of his afflicted troops, who have been sucked into frustration, despair and suicide attempts fearing the revenge of the Iraqis,"  Abdel-Rahman told IslamOnline.net.

Many others sounded skeptical about the secrecy of the visit, against Bush’s earlier hyped claims that Iraqis do welcome his occupation forces.

"If the Iraqis want occupation, as he always alleged, why didn’t Bush turn up in public here," wondered Abdullah Al-Samera’i.

Defiant, Abdullah said Iraqis would never acquiesce to the presence of occupation forces or forgive their military provocations.

"The occupation will vanish soon," he vowed.

News of the visit was not even released until Air Force One had already left, for fear of the sort of missile attack that forced an emergency landing by a DHL civilian cargo jet last week and downed at least four U.S. helicopter gunships before.

Killed

For Haj Taleb, a 70-year-old Iraqi man, Bush was only concerned about his own safety.

"Had he dared announce his visit, somebody would have killed him for sure, maybe a suicide bomber," Taleb told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"What good did his visit bring us? We want to see him and his troops leave Iraq at once. We want Saddam back!" piped in Hilal Muhayed, 16, as his teenage friends nodded in approval.

Muhayed lamented how the U.S. promises to provide stability and welfare after the overthrow of Saddam turned empty, citing the bubbling, seething cauldron of anarchy and chaos now prevailing in the occupied oil-rich country.

"We have no reason to rejoice, we're far worse off with his occupation. We have no electricity, no gas. Let him come here and we'll take care of him," warned one of Hilal's friends, declining to identify himself.

On the other bank of the Tigris river, in Kazhamiyah's mostly Shiite lower-middle class neighborhood, residents also complained the U.S. occupation forces had failed to bring back security.

Although they insisted they were thankful to Bush for ridding them of Saddam under whose iron rule they were systematically oppressed, many were furious over the U.S. military violations.

"The U.S. forces should release detainees of scientists and religious scholars, who had been bucketed only for rejecting occupation," maintained Nasser El-Deen El-Eithawy.

Others heaped the blame to the U.S.-installed Interim Governing council, as four of its members met Bush during his surprise visit.

"They were more joyful over Bush’s trip than American soldiers themselves. Shame on the council’s female member who rushed to kiss him," said Moayed Al-Omari.

‘Patience Could Run Out’

Meanwhile, the society of Iraqi clan chiefs issued a statement warning against Pandora’s box if their patience run out with the U.S. military aggressions.

"We have been patient over the behaviors of the occupation forces, but be careful, when the patient people turn angry," read the statement, a copy of which was obtained by IOL.

Ibrahim Khalil Al-Duleimi said U.S. troops stepped up detention of tribesmen, especially during the Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Fitr.

American soldiers broke into the house of Sheikh Turki Talal al-Hassanal-Kartani, leader of the Kartan clan, and detained five members of his family to force him to surrender, he said.

Al-Duleimi said most of the cases against tribe chiefs are bases on "fabricated accusations" that Saddam had visited a number of tribe chiefs during Ramadan and that they are stockpiling arms for resistance operations.

"The Americans do not respect the sanctity of homes nor the status of tribe chiefs. They break into houses without permission and steal money and jewels," charged Sheikh Mashaan Khamis al-Dari, the secretary general of the influential society.

Al-Dari said occupation troops turn more provocative with sniffing dogs and tanks used in the incursions.

The society, established on July 2003, groups a large number of Sunni clans in order to close ranks among them and activate their influence.