Saddam Hussein has his head tossed back, his blonde locks flowing and a filter-tipped cigarette dangling coquettishly between his delicate fingers. Meet "Zsa Zsa Saddam" the US army's latest ploy in the four-month hunt for the fugitive dictator.
In a campaign to start this morning, US forces plan to put up posters around Saddam's hometown of Tikrit showing his face superimposed on Hollywood heroines and other stars in an attempt to enrage his followers and draw them out. As well as Saddam dolled up as a slinky Zsa Zsa Gabor, there is a busty Rita Hayworth Saddam, a grooving Elvis Saddam and even Saddam in the guise of British-born rocker Billy Idol.
"We're going to do something devious with these," said a chuckling Lieut-Col Steve Russell last week, as he checked out spoof Saddam pictures taken from the Internet . "Most of the locals will love 'em and they'll be laughing. But the bad guys are going to be upset, which will just make it easier for us to know who they are." Lieut-Col Russell, whose 1st Battalion, 22nd Regiment is spearheading the 4th Infantry Division's search for the deposed leader, hopes to have the posters slapped up on walls around Tikrit from today, although no official decision has yet been taken.
The gambit is part of a game of cat-and-mouse the lieut-col and his unit are playing with Saddam loyalists. Apparently intimidated by the US army's heavy presence around town, more and more guerrillas are stashing their weapons and keeping a low profile.US forces are trying to flush them out while they can.
"It's mostly good for troop morale, but if we can put these posters up in Tikrit and the enemy can't take them down, then at least it shows who owns the streets," said Sgt David Cade. One of the posters shows Saddam's head on Elvis's dancing body, a gold crucifix hanging around his hairy chest. Some Iraqis say US forces would do well to think about leaving the cross around Elvis's neck. "Maybe it is funny for the soldiers, but I think most locals will find it very insulting," said Uday, a 22-year-old in Tikrit. - (Reuters)