CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was born and raised in the town of Tikrit. David and I were just talking about it. It's in -- north of Baghdad, and our own Rula Amin took a tour of the town. And she gives a look in her postcard from the field.</s>RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's really rare to have a chance to go to Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown. The town itself has taken on mythical proportions because it's so closely identified with the Iraqi presence. And it's considered a bedrock of support for him and his regime. And it's no secret if there is a war, Tikrit is likely to be a prime target. So with great anticipation, we set off to Tikrit. The journey took us an hour and a half. We were only allowed to take pictures of a seminar at Tikrit University on how to liberate Jerusalem. Saddam Hussein was represented by his cousin, General Ali Hassan Il Magid (ph). But General Magid (ph) declined to talk to us. And from the little we were allowed to see of Tikrit, lives seemed normal. People, buildings, students going on with their studies. What really caught my attention at the university was that there seem to be more women without head scarves than in any other college here, even in the capital, Baghdad. It was a reminder of the strong secular roots with the ruling Ba'ath Party and Saddam Hussein.</s>LIN: That's our Rula Amin in Tikrit, north of Baghdad. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Postcard From the Field: Tikrit, Iraq