"They were harassing us in the streets, and raided our houses, and arrested our sons. We now want to see them out of greater Basra," he aded.
But there was little apparent celebration on the streets as residents headed to work as usual, passing through checkpoints manned by Iraqi soldiers and police.
For, despite the optimism of some police and residents, the city remains gripped by a brutal turf war between rival militias.
Trader Ahmed Ali Omar, 35, was elated in spite of the uncertain future.
"This is a victory for honest resistance," he said. "It is a pleasure [to see the troops go]. We had long been wishing for the occupier to go so that stability can be restored."
Alla Hassan, a 53-year-old oil worker, was also upbeat.
"We can finally relax. We hope that they leave Basra altogether and for good. We do not want to seek their tanks rumbling through the streets of the city."
Officials also hailed the withdrawal.
"The local government welcomes the British withdrawal from the presidential palace," said senior provincial council member Hakim Al Mayyahi.
He said plans were afoot to turn SADDAM HUSSEIN'S former palace on the banks of the Shatt Al Arab waterway into a tourist haven now that the British had gone.
Mayyahi, who is also security chief for Basra, said Iraq's security forces were ready to take over control of the city "despite the shortage of men and equipment."
Two military brigades were being deployed to handle security following the withdrawal of the British troops to an airbase just west of the city, he said.
Police captain Major Rafe Mohammed Said preparations to take over security in Basra city had been ongoing for some time, as the British had announced their plans to withdraw more than five months ago.
"The role of the British forces is not fundamental, and the Iraqi forces are capable of protecting the city," he said.
Residents crowded Basra markets Monday morning, anxious to get their shopping done and then return home before the temperatures reached the day's peak of around 48 degrees centigrade (118 degrees Fahrenheit).
After the British withdrawal was completed Monday, Iraqi troops set up guard posts, while a small, cheering group raised an Iraqi flag outside the sprawling complex with its ornamental lakes and lush palm-fringed gardens.
The riverside palace is not far from the Iranian border, and despite initial optimism in Basra, itself, many policy experts warn of future chaos in a city gripped by a brutal turf war between rival Shiite militias.
The International Crisis Group think tank warned in June that the withdrawal would be seen as a victory by the Shiite militants who bombarded British bases daily, and who control much of the city's economic and political life.
"Basra's residents and militiamen view this as not an orderly withdrawal, but rather as an ignominious defeat. Today, the city is controlled by militias, seemingly more powerful and unconstrained than before," its report said.
© 2007 Agence France-Presse
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