

Saddam Hussein pleaded not guilty when his trial opened in Baghdad on 19 October, 2005. The case was chosen by prosecutors because they believed it would be the easiest to compile and prosecute. In July 2005, the tribunal laid the first charges against Saddam Hussein and seven other former regime members for crimes against humanity against Shi'ites in the town of Dujail in 1982. He challenged the legality of the proceedings, which he said were brought about by the "invasion forces". His trial opened in Baghdad the next day. Saddam Hussein was transferred to the Iraqi authorities on 30 June 2004 following the handover of sovereignty to Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's interim government. Saddam's stronghold towns of Tikrit and Fallujah, however, were sombre and quiet. The former president had not been seen since US forces entered Baghdad in April.ĭespite one of the most intensive manhunts in history, he has evaded capture for eight months.Īs the news spread throughout Iraq, people began celebrating in the streets of Baghdad and the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk by sounding their horns and firing into the air. Video footage was released by the US military showing a dishevelled Saddam with a long black and grey beard undergoing a medical examination. Weapons and more than $750,000 in cash was confiscated. Two unidentified people said to be "close allies" of Saddam Hussein were also arrested. He seemed "disoriented" and "bewildered", the Major-General said, and was arrested at 2030 local time (1730 GMT).

The former Iraqi dictator was armed with a pistol, but Major-General Odierno said he gave himself up without resistance. Saddam had been breathing through an air vent and extractor fan. The entrance was topped with a polystyrene lid and covered with a rug, bricks and dirt. Saddam Hussein was found in a "spider hole" or cellar just big enough for a person to lie down in, and six to eight feet (1.8m to 2.5m) deep. There was a $25m reward offered by the US authorities for information leading to his capture.Ī similar reward was claimed for revealing the whereabouts of Saddam Hussein's sons, Uday and Qusay, who were killed in a raid by US forces in the northern city of Mosul in July. "Over the last 10 days we brought in about five to 10 members of these families, and finally got the ultimate information from one of these individuals," he said. Saddam Hussein was found hidden in a tiny bunker at a farmhouse about 10 miles (15 km) south of his home town, Tikrit.Ī US military spokesman, Major-General Raymond Odierno, said the operation was launched soon after a tip-off from a member of Saddam Hussein's own extended family. "Ladies and gentlemen, we got him," US administrator Paul Bremer told journalists in Baghdad. The ousted President of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, is under arrest after he was captured by US soldiers.
