Soldiers had to dig out Saddam

2003-12-14 13:41

Baghdad - Saddam Hussein, trapped in a cellar, dug a hole and buried himself as US soldiers moved into the house where he was hiding, an Iraqi official said on Sunday.

"The American soldiers had to use shovels to dig him out," Entifadh Qanbar, spokesperson for Governing Council member Ahmad Chalabi, said.

Qanbar, basing his account on reports from members of the US-led occupation authority, said Saddam had a salt-and-pepper beard when he was captured.

Soldiers photographed him, shaved the beard and photographed him again before running DNA tests, he said.

"The DNA test confirmed 100% Saddam Hussein's identity," he said.

Qanbar said the capture took place "in a town very close to Tikrit," Saddam's hometown 160km north of Baghdad.

- AP