THE THING IS...CAN YOU BELIEVE A WORD THESE PEOPLE SAY?

In interviews here, some Tikritis readily admit that Mr. Hussein is in the area, protected by the people upon whom he lavished wealth and privilege during his rule. The funeral Saturday of his sons, attended by dozens of family members and friends, gave ample testament to the nostalgia for his rule. Locals here said Tikritis who have cooperated with the Americans have been attacked and, in some cases, killed.

"Saddam is with us in Tikrit, and the Americans will not find him," Sheik Ismael al-Dibis, a tribal elder here, said in an interview. "They cannot find him even if they searched for a hundred years."

The Americans think they can. Despite the boasts of his supporters, the Americans say they have been deluged with information about Mr. Hussein. In addition to the 600 Iraqis detained here, the Americans have captured two men on the most-wanted list, including Abid Hamid Mahmoud al-Tikriti, who was No. 4, a ranking based in part on his closeness to Mr. Hussein.

The Americans are handing out rewards for information, but they say their biggest asset is the desire for justice by the many residents whom Mr. Hussein brutalized.