Saddam supporters protest in Tikrit

Chanting “Saddam is in our hearts, Saddam is in our blood, “ about 700 people rallied in in the captured hometown of Tikrit today in protest at his arrest

Soldiers and police monitoring the demonstration chanted back: “Saddam is in our jail,” said US Lieutenant Colonel Steven Russell.

A brawl erupted when the security forces waded into the crowd to arrest a ringleader of the protest, Russell said. The man was handed over to Iraqi police.

There were no injuries and the protesters later dispersed.

“They were reminded that protests are not authorised and that participation in protests is punishable,” he said.

Tikrit is in the heart of the so-called Sunni triangle, an area of central Iraq dominated by minority Sunni Muslims which contains many of Saddam’s staunchest loyalists.