War nears end as US takes Saddam’s hometown

US MARINES stormed into Saddam Hussein’s final stronghold yesterday, seizing control of his hometown Tikrit, effectively sealing the US and British victory in the Iraq war and allowing the Bush administration to issue some sombre warnings to Syria.

With the main fighting apparently over, Washington turned the heat on Iraq’s neighbour, with White House spokesman Ari Fleischer calling Syria a “rogue nation”.

Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld accused Syria of testing chemical weapons within the last 12 to 15 months and of harbouring top associates of deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Secretary of State Colin Powell warned Syria of possible diplomatic or economic sanctions.