All dressed up and nowhere to go

TIKRIT - Silver rifles, wounded Iraqis and disappointments are all in a night's work for the US troops hunting for leads to the whereabouts of ousted president Saddam Hussein in his hometown of Tikrit.

With tanks in the rear, convoys of Bradley fighting vehicles, troop carriers and Humvee trucks rattle from their compound at a former Saddam palace and dash to the outskirts of the town to chase down an informant's "hot tip".

Bouncing around at the tailgate of the lead Humvee, Sergeant Gilbert Nail dampened comrades' adrenaline-fuelled speculation that the raid might net the elusive Saddam - still believed to be on the run five months after he was deposed in the war.

"There have been Elvis sightings before," the sergeant said.

Even though commanders in the area believe they are closing in on Saddam, Nail confesses he no longer feels a buzz on the battalion's round-the-clock patrols and raids.

With night vision goggles, bulky kneepads and brand new walkie-talkies, the 1st Battalion, 22nd Regiment is equipped to storm anti-American guerrilla hideouts at a moment's notice.

But overnight on Tuesday - a day after successful raids netted several suspects - the trail went cold.

"All dressed up and nowhere to go," said Lieutenant Colonel Steve Russell, the commander in charge of the search for Saddam in Tikrit.

The Iraqi informant, it turned out, could not pinpoint the location of a high-level suspect Russell had hoped could lead to even bigger fish.

Still, the soldiers wanted action, and rushed off to aid comrades who had come under fire from assailants with silver AK-47 rifles during an operation to nab an alleged bomb-maker.

"Must be rich guys," one soldier said, referring to his enemy's weapons.

Russell's men dismounted and fanned out, stealthy silhouettes across a wasteland of scrub and abandoned buildings.

But when they reached their colleagues' post, they had again missed out, and instead of gunfire they were greeted by the groans of an Iraqi shot in the thighs as he fled the battle.

When the convoys rolled back to base there was no sense of mission accomplished. Cursing replaced jokes.

"All in a night's work," said Major Bryan Luke.

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq