By — Larisa Epatko Larisa Epatko Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/saddam-statue Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Then and Now: What Replaced the Toppled Saddam Statue? World Aug 26, 2010 12:00 PM EDT U.S. Marines pull down the statue of Saddam Hussein. Photo by Mirrorpix/Getty Images BAGHDAD | The toppling of a statue of Saddam Hussein, marking the fall of Baghdad to U.S.-led coalition forces, did not escape controversy when a U.S. Marine temporarily draped an American flag over the statue’s head and an Army report showed the statue’s fall was not as spontaneous as it appeared. Nonetheless, the image taken on April 9, 2003, in Baghdad’s Firdos Square came to symbolize the freedom of Iraqis from Saddam’s regime. A group of Iraqi artists erected another statue in its place two months later. The 23-foot sculpture portrays an Iraqi family holding a crescent moon and sun. Statue in Baghdad’s Firdos Square. Photo by Larisa Epatko The NewsHour is in Iraq reporting on the country’s challenges in security, public services and politics as U.S. combat forces depart. We’re also revisiting sites made famous — or infamous — by the war. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Larisa Epatko Larisa Epatko Larisa Epatko produced multimedia web features and broadcast reports with a focus on foreign affairs for the PBS NewsHour. She has reported in places such as Jordan, Pakistan, Iraq, Haiti, Sudan, Western Sahara, Guantanamo Bay, China, Vietnam, South Korea, Turkey, Germany and Ireland. @NewsHourWorld
U.S. Marines pull down the statue of Saddam Hussein. Photo by Mirrorpix/Getty Images BAGHDAD | The toppling of a statue of Saddam Hussein, marking the fall of Baghdad to U.S.-led coalition forces, did not escape controversy when a U.S. Marine temporarily draped an American flag over the statue’s head and an Army report showed the statue’s fall was not as spontaneous as it appeared. Nonetheless, the image taken on April 9, 2003, in Baghdad’s Firdos Square came to symbolize the freedom of Iraqis from Saddam’s regime. A group of Iraqi artists erected another statue in its place two months later. The 23-foot sculpture portrays an Iraqi family holding a crescent moon and sun. Statue in Baghdad’s Firdos Square. Photo by Larisa Epatko The NewsHour is in Iraq reporting on the country’s challenges in security, public services and politics as U.S. combat forces depart. We’re also revisiting sites made famous — or infamous — by the war. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now