Never Enough Truth In Editing Department

I wonder if MSNBC intended this article to read as such:

In the heart of the city, American soldiers who reached the gold-and-blue-domed palace used the toilets, rifled through documents in the bombed-out compound, and helped themselves to ashtrays, pillows, gold-painted Arab glassware and other souvenirs.

�I hope this makes it clear to the Iraqi people that this (regime) is over and that they can now enjoy their new freedom,� said U.S. brigade commander Col. David Perkins.

The freedom to steal ashtrays--ah, what giddy carefree days should follow! Especially given how quickly the Iraqi people caught on to stealing bigger, fancier items. God bless America!