But by early evening, there were few cars or pedestrians, and black smoke had drifted toward the heart of the city.
"Baghdad will remain with its head held high," Al-Sahhaf said. "The Baghdad of Saddam will remain defiant."
Despite the apparent setbacks, Saddam's regime was taking a hard line — denying military setbacks and verbally attacking its enemies in a show of public resolve. Al-Sahhaf lashed out at the allies early Saturday.
"They are a gang of war criminals ... international bastards," he said. "They lie day and night. They are not human."
