The capture of Saddam Hussein involved a massive military operation in which US forces stormed the hiding place of the former Iraqi dictator.
About 600 soldiers were involved in 'Operation Red Dawn', which took place under the cover of darkness in the town of Ad Dawr, near Tikrit, last night.
Cavalry, engineers, artillery, aviation and special operations units were also deployed as the forces closed in on the man they had been seeking for eight months.
Details of the operation emerged as the commander of US forces - Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez - gave a detailed account of the successful mission to find the dictator.
He said the raid followed several months of intelligence gathered from sources, including Iraqi detainees.
The military operation began at 10.50 a.m. yesterday local time after US forces received a tip-off about the whereabouts of Saddam.
Two likely locations were identified near the town of Ad Dawr - they were named Wolverine 1 and Wolverine 2.
The First Brigade combat team from the 4th Infantry Division was then assigned a mission to kill or capture Saddam.
At about 6 p.m. yesterday the mission got into full swing as troops positioned themselves north-west of Ad Dawr, and started moving towards the suspected locations.
After initial searches yielded nothing, soldiers cordoned off the areas and began to step up the hunt.
Coalition forces subsequently discovered a "suspicious location" north-west of Wolverine 2. The site was a small, walled compound with a metal structure and a mud hut with a spider hole.
As troops surrounded the compound, soldiers closed in on the hole, which was camouflaged with bricks and dirt.
Within minutes came the revelation the world had been waiting for - this hole was the hiding place of Saddam Hussein.
Looking dishevelled and with a beard, Saddam offered no resistance as he was captured and taken to a secure area. Meanwhile, troops continued to search the hole - between six and eight feet deep - and its surrounding area.
They found two AK 47 machine guns, a pistol and $750,000 in 100-dollar denominations. Two other Iraqis affiliated with Saddam Hussein were also detained. Saddam is currently under coalition custody at an undisclosed location. A medical examination proved he has no injuries and is in good health.
PA