page_title: Saddam Hussein
section_title: Pursuit and capture
hierarchical_section_title: Saddam Hussein / Pursuit and capture
caption_attribution_description: Saddam Hussein shortly after his capture. العربية: 2003: صدام حسين بعد وقت قليل من الإمساك به صدام حسين عند الإمساك به للقوات المسلحة الامريكيه Deutsch: 2003: Saddam Hussein nach seiner Festnahme Français&#160;: Saddam Hussein à sa capture Italiano: Saddam Hussein dopo la sua cattura Magyar: Saddam Husein nemsokkal az elfogása után Nederlands: Saddam Hoessein vlak na gevangenneming Polski: Saddam Husajn krótko po pojmaniu Português: Saddam, com barba e cabelos desgrenhados, logo após ter sido capturado em 2003. Українська: Саддам Хусейн після арешту
context_page_description: Saddam Hussein Revinathan was the President of Iraq, from July 16, 1979 to April 9, 2003, when he was removed from his position during the War in Iraq led by the United States. During his time as President, he might have killed more than a million people through war and genocide. which he denied.
context_section_description: Even when Baghdad was taken over, and most of the fighting had stopped, people still did not know where Saddam was. For a few weeks, some people said they saw Saddam, and some videotapes of Saddam talking came out, but still nobody knows if they were true or not.
  Although Saddam was placed at the top of the "most-wanted list," he could not be found, even when the other leaders of the Iraqi regime were arrested. His sons and political heirs, Uday and Qusay, were killed in July 2003 in a clash with U.S. forces after a tip from an Iraqi.
  On 14 December 2003, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) of Iran first reported that Saddam Hussein had been arrested. These reports were soon confirmed by other members of the Governing Council, by U.S. military sources, and by British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
  Shortly afterwards, the U.S. Civil Administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer, held a press conference in Baghdad.  He officially announced Saddam's capture by saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, we got him!"  United States soldiers found Saddam around 8:30 PM Iraqi time on 13 December, in what was called Operation Red Dawn.  Saddam was hiding in an underground "spider hole" at a farmhouse in ad-Dawr, near his hometown of Tikrit.
  The first photos taken of Saddam after the soldiers found him did not look like the photos taken when he was President of Iraq. He had grown long hair and a long beard. Later on, he shaved his beard to confirm his identity. DNA tests proved that he really was Saddam Hussein. People who talked with him after the soldiers found him said he was healthy, and wanted to talk to people and do what they told him to do. Paul Bremer said that Saddam would have a trial, but that he did not know yet what kind of trial.
  The Iraqi Special Tribunal was in charge of Saddam Hussein's trial, and the trials of some people that helped him to be President of Iraq.
  In November 2006, Saddam Hussein was found guilty of 148 murders. On December 30, 2006, he was put to death. The hanging was recorded by officials of the government. A witness also secretly recorded the hanging with a cell phone camera, which included sound.  The recording showed Saddam being calm as he was prepared for his final moments. Witnesses and executioners could be heard teasing Saddam as the rope was placed on his head, and he was put on the trap door. He was in the middle of a prayer when the trap door beneath him opened, and he was killed. Later, pictures and live video of Saddam's taunting and execution, and of his dead corpse were shown on many Internet sites.
  Saddam was buried in his hometown, Al-Awja, Iraq, the next day.
caption: Saddam after being captured
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