A former senior general in Saddam Hussein's army has made a triumphant entry into the besieged city of Fallujah and was greeted by flag-waving locals celebrating the pull-back of US marines.

Jassem Mohammed Saleh, who headed Saddam's infantry forces, is to take over as head of what American officials are calling the "1st battalion of the proposed Fallujah Brigade."

This is a new force to police the Sunni stronghold.

His appearance came as two marines were killed and six wounded when their patrol was attacked by a suicide car bomber in the city.

The new Iraqi battalion will have up to 1,100 men, many of them former members of Saddam's forces, and some insurgents who have been fighting the marines.

American commanders argued that there had been no deal with the insurgents and the marines leaving the city were not handing over control but simply "repositioning" their forces.

(CRI May 1, 2004)