The success of the Allied invasion of Iraq lies in ahole in southern Baghdad. There, dozens of Americansoldiers, three bulldozers and 27 trucks arefrantically digging away to find the remains, clothesor even the DNA of Saddam Hussein.

They had better find it or they will face the worstthreat to the stability of the post-war regime: theresurrection of Saddam Hussein.

It is perhaps the most surprising thing that strikes avisitor to post-war Iraq. Despite the Iran-Iraq war,the poverty, the mass graves, the human rightsviolations and all the suffering in Iraq &#0151 SaddamHussein is still popular.

If the Americans held a presidential electiontomorrow, he could probably win.

He is, of course, not universally popular; among theShia Muslims, he is loathed. But as with those LatinAmerican dictators who oppressed their people in the1970s and 1980s, and then went on to win elections in theâe(TM)90s, there are sections of the Iraqi population who eitherstill support him or have a grudging respect for hismethods.

Those sections are growing.

The tribal areas of northwestern Iraq &#0151 from theoutskirts of Baghdad to the Turkish border &#0151 is full ofsuch graffiti as, &#0147We love you Saddam Hussein.&#0148 Thetribes gave their allegiance to Hussein while he wasPresident and, like believers in old-fashioned weddingvows, they support him now, for better or forworse.

&#0147Look, he was a strong man,&#0148 says Abdullah Ahmed, avillager from northern Iraq. &#0147We in Iraq, we likestrong men. And Saddam, he was the strongest.&#0148 Thetribes did very well out of the regime: services, jobsand money all flowed their way. They, as SaddamHussein was, are Sunni Muslims and he was known to favourhis co-religionists. But there were other sections ofthe population who did well that are not generallyknown.

I went to a Christian Church in central Baghdad. &#0147Howmany of the people here were Baathists?&#0148 I asked in ahushed voice to one of the leaders. &#0147Well, actually,we were all Baathists. It was the only way. And youknow, Saddam was not all that bad,&#0148 he replied. Thepopular misconception is that Hussein was bad foreveryone. But for minorities like the Christians, hewas a good bulwark against the Islamic extremists. That is not to say that he was not a tyrant, but he didknow how to manipulate the respective sectarian groupsbrilliantly and had popular political programs thatappealed to wide sections of the Iraqi population.

One example: if you wanted to form a secular politicalparty with a genuine chance of winning an election inIraq, you would form a party that was staunchlyanti-Israel, had a fiercely nationalistic oil policyand did not recognize Kuwaiti independence. Soundfamiliar? Those are the main pillars of Husseinâe(TM)spolitical program and next to the Islamic policiesthey remain the most popular in Iraq.

The second reason for Husseinâe(TM)s continuing popularityis that more and more Iraqis are making the followingequation: with Saddam Hussein we had electricity,water and safety on our streets. Now we have noHussein, little electricity, less water and no safety!

The Americans are winning the war, but are losing thepeace. The looting that goes on in front of theirforces is at an elemental level. It is not justmuseums, banks and palaces where it occurs. It istrains unmoving because the timber had been stolen;electricity not working because the cables were rippedup for their copper; the sides of roads crumblingbecause the very pavement stones have been taken.

All of the looting is and was preventable. It has happenedbefore. When Nazi sympathizers were beaten bypro-British supporters in 1941, one of their last actswas to pillage the Jewish sections of Baghdad. Sincethen, at the fall of every government, criminal elementsamong the Iraqis have moved into the streets to stealanything they can lay their hands on. The Americanforces are still, largely, allowing them to do this. Ordinary Iraqis cannot understand their apparentindifference and Hussein looks all the better for it.

Lastly, there is an odd, almost mythical, element toSaddam Hussein’s popularity. Karil Khaoud, amid-level oil manager in the North State Oil, istypical, &#0147I hated Saddam Hussein. But I wanted him tobeat the Americans. It is my country. I wanted him tobeat them. Or at least defend Iraq for longer.&#0147 Itis a common sentiment. There is even a &#0147secret&#0148 videothat is making the rounds: The Real History of theDefense of Iraq. It is not on display but most videostores sell it. It is purportedly to counter the&#0147propaganda&#0148 of the Americans and tells how the IraqiArmy bravely defended the country.

There are a series of stories that people tell. Saddam Hussein is dead. He died defending the Baghdadairport, grenade launcher on his shoulder, RepublicanGuard at his back. Saddam Hussein is alive, hidingamong his supporters. No one can definitively refutethese stories and so with each one his prestige growsa little. Life for the Americans becomes a littlemore difficult then and the need to find his remains in ahole in south Baghdad becomes more urgent.