BAGHDAD, 23 March 2003 — After a first night of the shock and awe of US military might, life went on in the Iraqi capital yesterday as the city awaited the next round of fury from the skies.

Taxis were honking again for pedestrians and red double-deckers were cruising the streets with passengers peeking from the top floor at buildings damaged by the massive overnight bombings on the heart of the capital. Workers were clearing rubble from the streets of Baghdad early yesterday after the overnight bombing blitz.

Smoke was still billowing from the Republican Palace, the capital’s main symbol of the regime of President Saddam Hussein, which was hit by a series of cruise missiles that set fire to the whole building located on the bank of the Tigris River.

Glass was not broken in nearby official buildings, whose windows are apparently bulletproof, but the powerful bombings by cruise missiles shattered the windows of homes on the other side of the river.

On the main avenue past the Foreign Ministry in central Baghdad, workers were removing rubble blown off from a building believed to be the headquarters of security services. Access was difficult on the avenue, as vehicles were forced to slow down to drive carefully over the fallen materials.

Despite the deep boom of afternoon bombings in the outskirts of Baghdad, a sweeping city of more than five million residents, traffic was relatively normal despite the fact that most shops and businesses were still closed since the blitz began Thursday.

In Al-Rasheed Street, the capital’s oldest commercial thoroughfare, all the metal shutters were shut and boys were playing football on the sidewalk under the arcades.

On Al-Saadoun Avenue, people were strolling under the warm spring sunshine and stopping at traditional kebab stalls, bakeries or pharmacies.

Such nonchalance to the effects of the devastating bombings is explained by the Iraqi population’s belief that the onslaught has only been targeting official sites.

“It is also because so far, the Americans have not bombed us during the day. So we are relieved to be able to do what we want during day time,” said Ahmed Salim, a pharmacist.

Shops across the city were not only closed, but have all emptied their shelves, fearing bombings and looting could destroy their livelihoods. Many groceries near the Al-Mustansiya district, east of the capital, were open yesterday, with owners braving their fears to put wares back on the shelves.

“People are getting a bit more confident because of the return to normal during daytime,” said grocer Abu Jassem. “The first day, people were scared of what was to come, but now it is better because people saw that during daytime, all goes well.”

Firas Jumaa, a 35-year-old taxi driver, said he was at home with his mother and two brothers when the bombing started late Friday. “We were scared during the bombing. We heard several bombings in several areas, but we could not tell where the bombing was taking place because our house is a typical small Baghdadi house,” he said.

“Today, life is relatively back to normal. We went out to visit family members and friends and get in contact with them to see if everyone is fine after this terrible night.”

Nour Mohamad, a 22-year-old university student, said “people were less scared yesterday evening, even though the bombings were more intensive. They saw that neighborhoods were not targeted.

“When we heard the sirens yesterday evening, instead of hiding, we all tried to peek from our windows and some even went on the roof,” she said. “This morning, people woke up early and did not hesitate to stand at the gates of their homes to ask how their friends and relatives are doing and to discuss the situation.”

Qassem Mohamad, a client at a cafe on Al-Saadoun street, said: “We do not know what the coming days are holding for us, but we expect something good because we have faith in the brave Iraqi soldiers. We will never let any foreign army to occupy us.”

At one of the movie theaters, there was an eerie announcement for an American movie, and possibly for the night to come. It was called: “The Rage of Fire.”