Saddam Hussein was examined by US doctors

Some 600 US 4th Infantry division troops together with coalition Special Forces swooped on the town of Al-Dawr, near Tikrit in northern Iraq.

The raid focused on two likely hiding places, codenamed 'wolverine one' and 'wolverine two'.

Troops became suspicious of a small walled farm compound containing a metal lean-to structure and a mud hut, just north west of wolverine two.

Searching the compound, troops discovered a tiny 'spider hole' camouflaged with bricks and dirt.

In military terms, a spider hole is a small disguised shaft leading to a subterranean chamber or network of tunnels.

At about 2030, they entered the hole and found Saddam Hussein hiding at the bottom.

The former Iraqi leader had secreted himself about 6-8ft underground in a chamber barely large enough to allow a person to lie down.

No shots were fired during the operation, and Saddam Hussein offered no resistance.

Addressing a news conference in Baghdad, Lieutenant-General Ricardo Sanchez said Saddam was "talkative and co-operative", had no injuries and was in good health.

Along with the former Iraqi dictator, troops discovered US $750,000 cash in $100 bills, two AK-47 machine guns, a pistol and two other Iraqi associates. A white and orange taxi was parked in the compound.

The former Iraqi leader was removed at 2115 and taken to an undisclosed location, General Sanchez said.

He then showed a videotape of a dishevelled and heavily-bearded Saddam Hussein being examined by an American doctor. The general described Saddam as "a tired man, a man resigned to his fate".

Several Iraqis at the news conference began wildly shouting "death to Saddam" as the pictures were shown.

The mission came after several months of intensive intelligence-gathering in the Tikrit area.