TIKRIT, Iraq (Sept. 5) - Saddam Hussein probably is in hiding in or around his
hometown of Tikrit, the commander of American troops there said Friday.

Maj. Gen. Ray Odierno said troops from the 4th Infantry Division had captured
several of Saddam's former bodyguards in the past month.

``If he makes a mistake, we'll have him,'' Odierno said.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld met in Tikrit with Odierno as part of his
tour of Iraq. Rumsfeld also traveled to Mosul, where he met with local Iraqi
officials and commanders of the 101st Airborne Division.

Rumsfeld spoke to U.S. troops, thanking them for bringing freedom to Iraq and
warning that more hardships remain.

Local officials in Mosul asked Rumsfeld for help in several areas, including
increasing the supply of diesel fuel, and speeding up the privatization of
local businesses.

Rumsfeld replied that he agreed privatization was a good idea for Iraq's ailing
economy.

``This country has decades of doing things exactly the wrong way - nationally
governmentally owned and nationally controlled,'' he said.

Rumsfeld also said he was optimistic about Iraq's future.

``I think we have the formula here for success,'' Rumsfeld said. ``A lot of
things have been accomplished. It's not going to be a straight steady path. In
the future there will be difficulties.''

09/05/03 08:48 EDT