Tikrit, Iraq

Tikrit is located 100 miles north of Baghdad. With 260,000 residents, Tikrit is best known for being the birthplace of Saddam Hussein, and a significant center of support for his Baathist regime.

The Tikrit area holds Saddam Hussein's largest and most elaborate presidential compound, as well as Baathist headquarters and command bunkers, all of which came under attack in an effort to root out anti-Coalition forces. It is Tikrit that US forces feared would hold the fiercest resistance after the fall of Baghdad, and two years later, the opposition has proved it has staying power.

Tikrit flourished under the Baathist rule; hence, the opposition is stronger here than in areas that were adversely affected by Saddam Hussein's rule. Authorities hope more than 1,000 Iraqi Army soldiers will continue to deter criminal activity. Iraqi commanders say only a small portion of Tikrit is inhabited by irregular militia forces and Saddam loyalists, but a willingness to join the insurgency by outsiders could tip the scales of power.

With the Iraqi Army's vigilance, Tikrit remains relatively stable, and its residents are in the midst of an economic boom. An average of three new stores a week open in the city, new houses are being built, and people are moving in from other troubled areas to start their lives over again. Once renowned as the birthplace of the country's tyrant, Tikrit is earning a reputation as a model town for Iraq's new democracy.