Saddam caught while sleeping

2003-12-14 13:41

Baghdad - Saddam Hussein was captured before dawn on Sunday while sleeping at a house in his hometown of Tikrit, Governing Council member Mahmud Othman said.

"Before 04:00 (01:00 GMT), Qusrat Rasul Ali called me to inform me that his men along with the Americans had managed to capture Saddam Hussein as he slept in his hideout in Tikrit this morning," Othman said.

Rasul Ali, who was tortured by Saddam's henchmen and is known as the lion of Kurdistan, heads a unit of special forces hunting down former regime leaders.

"I was sure the Kurds would catch Saddam Hussein because they have Arab friends in Tikrit, Mosul and the country," said Othman, a Kurd himself.

"It's a great joy for the Iraqi people because a great dictator has been arrested," he added.

Ahmed Chalabi, another member of the council, said Saddam was "captured without any resistance," and that he would be tried in public, according to Iraqi television.

- AFP