Today in Manhunting History -- June 3, 2003: Searching for Saddam

As U.S. ground forces began probing Baghdad’s defenses on April 7, an intelligence source reported seeing Saddam in the affluent Baghdad neighborhood of Mansour, where he allegedly visited a popular restaurant. The source claimed to have seen Saddam entering a nearby building for a meeting with his intelligence service. Two B-1B bombers already airborne were diverted to Baghdad, where they dropped four tons of bombs on the supposed meeting place. Communications chatter picked up by the NSA suggested Saddam had been killed, and Pentagon officials telephoned CIA headquarters and heard analysts proclaim: “We got ‘em.”

Whereas Saddam’s fate remained uncertain, his army melted away under the irresistible force of the 1st MEF and V Corps’ offensive. By April 9, U.S. troops had seized Baghdad, and the enormous statue of Saddam looming over Firdos Square was pulled down in a tangible symbol of the fall of Saddam’s dictatorship. The U.S. intelligence community was split over whether or not Saddam was killed in the Mansur bombing. On April 18 an Abu Dhabi television network broadcast a videotape – allegedly made on April 9 – showing Saddam surrounded by supporters in the Adhamiya district of Baghdad. Yet once again, U.S. intelligence officials could not determine the film’s date or authenticity.

Abu Dhabi's video purporting to show Saddam in Adhamiya district, Baghdad, two days after the CIA declared "We got 'em" in the Mansour attack

U.S. forces began to concentrate on rounding up the high-ranking officials from the deposed regime’s leadership before they could flee the country. A deck of playing cards bearing the pictures of the top 55 “most wanted” members of the “Black List” was distributed to American soldiers, with Saddam depicted as the ace of spades. The search was led by Task Force 20, a secret joint special operations unit that included members of Delta Force, Navy SEALs, and the British Special Air and Boat Services. By May 1, when President Bush proclaimed “Mission Accomplished” aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, 15 of the men on the cards had surrendered or been captured. Seizure missions continued through the spring, and coalition troops netted another 12 top fugitives in May, including one of Saddam’s sons-in-law.

Despite the euphoria of liberation and the tentative signs of progress following the initial looting of Baghdad, ordinary Iraqis were plagued by a sense of growing unease and disbelief. As the nascent insurgency began to coalesce in increasing attacks against coalition forces and Iraqi civilians, graffiti praising Saddam began to emerge in Iraq’s Sunni Triangle, bearing messages such as “Saddam is still our leader” and “Saddam the hero will be back.” General John Abizaid – General Franks’ replacement as CENTCOM commander – acknowledged: “It’s important even to know if he’s alive or dead; and if he’s alive, it’s important either to capture or kill him.” Ambassador Bremer agreed: “It is important to kill Saddam or capture him because his continued uncertain state has allowed people to play on that uncertainty and make the argument that, in some fashion, the Ba’athists would come back.” This sentiment was perhaps best expressed by an old Bedouin near Tikrit, who warned soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division that “Unless you catch Saddam and show his head to the people, they won’t believe he is gone. This will not end.”

Military engineers began excavating the site of the Mansur bombing on June 3 to try to find traces of Saddam’s DNA, but the search came up empty.