Children joined in as jubilant crowds played with the charred bodies, dragging them like trophies through the streets of a town overwhelmed by hatred for the occupying forces.

Those who participated in the brutality may represent just a tiny minority of Iraqis, but across the country anti-American voices are getting louder and more insistent.

"There's an increasing feeling of anti-Americanism definitely," said Paola Gasparoli of Occupation Watch, an independent organisation that monitors the occupation.

"It's like all their hopes were destroyed. Families who had some hope the Americans would help Iraq now have sons who were killed or arrested, houses destroyed. This hope has died."

The US authorities in Iraq cite polls showing that a vast majority of Iraqis are happy to have them in the country.

But one survey of 2,500 Iraqis released in March found that while they were happy to be rid of Saddam Hussein, 41 percent said they were humiliated by the invasion, four in 10 had no confidence in occupation troops, and one in five believed attacks on foreign soldiers in Iraq were justified.

A number of factors fuel the growing resentment.

A year since the invasion, there has been no let-up in violence, infrastructure is still poor, jobs scarce. There is often friction between civilians and occupying troops.

Raids across the country leave houses damaged and property broken. Iraqis complain that troops coming under attack are quick to fire in self defense, but fire randomly and without regard for civilians nearby.