Before the arrival of US troops, the village had been virtually cut off from the outside world for decades -- even residents of the town of Tikrit, just 12 kilometres (eight miles) away, needed special permission to visit, almost never given.

But on Monday, the only guards were a couple of US tanks stationed on the village outskirts and some US troops patrolling the small runway that served as the ousted president's personal landing strip.

The lavish houses that Saddam had built for his family and tribal allies lay abandoned. So too did the modern hospital, the new-looking schools and the Islamic Foundation, making the place seem like some make-believe amusement park on the banks of the River Tigris.

The presidential palace, built in 1976, was a wreck from missile strikes. The five metre (16 foot) chandelier had crashed to the ground below the central dome.

The dome itself had been spared, but the concrete roof had taken a direct hit, with the damage extending through several storeys.

Deprived of the protection of its once all-powerful son, the village had been the target of extensive looting.

In the palace kitchens, discarded food lay rotting on the floor, whilst a few records tossed on the ground were all that remained of Saddam's private music collection.

The looters had destroyed the doors leading to the palace's huge indoor pool -- years of economic sanctions and weeks of coalition bombing may have deprived most Iraqis of running water, but the president's private pleasure palace was kept well-watered to the last.

In the sprawling gardens behind the palace walls, the smell of roses and jasmine still perfumed the air.

The source of such bountiful patronage for so many years, Saddam's image is still ever present here.

One villager, who had clearly yet to come to terms with the Iraqi strongman's fall, could be seen crying in front of a giant Saddam portrait which had been damaged by US firepower.

But residents insisted that they had not seen the president in the flesh for years.

And the US soldiers guarding the village said they did not expect to see him any time soon.

"If he comes along, we will grab him," said Marine Lieutenant Nick Porowski.

"But I doubt strongly that he will come back."

His colleague Lieutenant Mat Peterson said he had instructed his men to "keep an eye open".

But he added they had other, more immediate priorities -- "First, hold the positions and block the enemy, and second, maintain security."

SPACE.WIRE