Tikrit, Iraq
The U.S. military has begun an intensive manhunt for Saddam Hussein around his hometown of Tikrit. Hundreds of soldiers are sweeping the plains around the city, conducting nightly raids, and detaining hundreds of residents. Some Tikritis, particularly those of Saddam’s tribe, benefited from considerable perks during his rule, and it’s thought that they are now the only people willing to shelter him. Military officials said there had been at least two “Elvis sightings”—their term for glimpses of the deposed dictator—in Tikrit. “It is our operational assumption that Saddam Hussein is here,” Col. James Hickey told The New York Times. “And if he’s here, we’ll get him.”
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