WHEN FANTASY MEETS REALITY: This San Francisco Chronicle account of the celebration in downtown Baghdad contains the following amusing anecdote:

There was a lot of smiling and laughing. One Iraqi gave out high-fives to passing Marines and reporters.

There were some American and European 'human shields' at the rally, people who had come to put themselves in harm's way in hopes of stopping the shooting. They chastised the Marines for attacking Iraq and promoting war.

That angered some of the men. 'I didn't bury two of my fellow Marines just so someone like that could call us murderers,' said one Marine, angry and teary, referring to an Iraqi artillery attack that killed two of his colleagues on Monday. 'They died for this country.'

Meanwhile, two Iraqis held up a sheet bearing the message: 'Go home Human Shields, you U.S. Wankers.'' (emphasis added)

I swear, you can't make this s#$& up.

UPDATE: Josh Chafetz e-mails that Donald Sensing has pictures of the banner (scroll down a bit)