Saddam Hussein Squeezed And Captured By US Forces

Saddam Hussein (Foto: commons.wikimedia.org File: Saddam Spider Hole)

JAKARTA - After 9 months of searching, today December 13, 16 years ago, US troops managed to arrest Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. The dictator, known as a human rights violator, was arrested near the town of Tikrit, his own birthplace.

Hunting for Saddam is not easy. Because protected by a loyal bodyguard. To capture Saddam, the US formed a special unit Task Force 121.

This unit was led by Maj. Gen. Raymond Odierno and Colonel James Hickey of the US 4th Infantry Division. In July-December 2003, the Red Dawn operation was launched to search for Saddam.

After several months of the Fajar Merah operation, the troops arrived at a stone hut with a small room on the east bank of the Tigris river. As reported by theguardian.com, based on information from the results of the interrogation of enemy US forces, there was an underground shelter near the hut. There was target number one, Saddam Hussein.

Saddam is hiding in a narrow hole that is known to be about 2.5 meters below ground level. He was found with a thick beard and messy hair. One of the soldiers described Saddam Hussein at that time as a man who had given up on his fate.

What was Saddam's fault in being chased by the US?

During Saddam's 24 years as President of Iraq, there have been many abuses of power. Even before he came to power, Saddam was said to have been involved in the coup movement.

Saddam Hussein was born on April 28, 1937 into a poor family in Tikrit, Al Awja, Iraq. He then migrated to Baghdad as a teenager and joined the Baath Party. Saddam Hussein was then elected chairman of the most influential political party in Iraq.

Reporting from history.com, Saddam took part in the attempted coup against the Iraqi government. This effort succeeded in getting his cousin Ahmed Hassan al Bakr to become President of Iraq in mid-1968. 11 years later, he continued his cousin's leadership.

During his 24 years in office, Saddam Hussein formed a secret police tasked with protecting his government. The secret police often terrorize the public and often violate the human rights of Iraqis.

In addition, he is also said to be living in wealth while some Iraqis live below the poverty line. Saddam easily built more than 20 magnificent palaces throughout Iraq. He often occupies these palaces secretly in order to maintain his own safety.

Under Saddam's leadership, Iraq fought several wars. In 1980 for example Iraq war against Iran. About 1 million people died in that war. However, he is suspected of using banned chemical weapons against the Iranian army. Saddam also used the poison on the Kurdish population in 1988. Two years later Iraq had invaded Kuwait.

This then disturbed the United States as the "world policeman". So that the US invaded Iraq again with the suspicion that Saddam Hussein's regime was producing weapons of mass destruction which until now have never been found.

After the US announced the invasion, Saddam Hussein went into hiding and was arrested 9 months later. He was subsequently tried from 2005 to 2006. He was found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death by hanging. Saddam was executed on December 30, 2006.