Hunt for Saddam stepped up

US troops in Iraq "continue to tighten the noose" on Saddam Hussein following the deaths of his two sons, military officials have said.

The hunt for the deposed leader has intensified since Uday and Qusay were killed by American forces, and troops have now arrested 13 men during a raid in Tikrit, most of whom are believed to be some of Saddam's bodyguards.

Meanwhile, the US continues in its bid to convince Iraqis the feared sons have been killed, releasing video footage of the dead pair just hours after headshots of them were published.

The new footage revealed that morticians had been called in by the US to "reconstruct" the brothers' faces in an attempt to recreate their appearances when they were alive.

Gone were the thick beards from both men and a gash from the face Uday.

The footage was seen as more convincing than the photos, but it has also offended some Muslims in Iraq and elsewhere by altering the bodies and delaying burial.

"Showing dead and deformed bodies on TV is not acceptable," Amer Ahmed al-Azawi, a 55-year-old Baghdad merchant, said.

Hamza Mansour, secretary general of the Islamic Action Front in neighbouring Jordan, said the display violated Islamic custom.

"The bodies of Uday and Qusay should have been washed, shrouded and buried immediately, but the Americans have no respect for our traditions and doctrine and they acted in a very unethical manner," he said.

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