In Tikrit, Saddam's memory lives on in watches

By Sabah al-Bazee

TIKRIT, Iraq (Reuters) - Five years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, his memory lives on through wrist watches as people in his home town and birth village seek reminders of a time of safety, jobs and cheap living.

In Saddam's home town of Tikrit, north of Baghdad, watches featuring an image of the former Iraqi leader on the dial sell like hot cakes to a mostly older crowd, while younger shoppers just like to try them on and pose, watch seller Hamad Younes said.

"People love these Saddam watches," said Younes of the timepieces, which have a starting price of $100 and feature a smiling Saddam in military or Arab dress.

"They never stay in stock more than two or three days. The people of Tikrit love Saddam," he said.

Saddam drew many of his most trusted officials from the Sunni strongholds of Tikrit and the neighboring village of Awja, where he was born in 1937, relying on tribal loyalty to ensure his absolute grip on power.

Loyalty was rewarded with the finest imported goods and lavish state support.

Nostalgia for Saddam's rule and a longing for a time when many Sunnis reveled in preferential treatment has driven the trade in the watches and other reminders of the Iraqi leader.

"People have started to ask for pictures of Saddam. Saddam mosque asked for a picture to hang above their door, that was the last one I did," said Shayban al-Aloosi, a painter and printer in Tikrit.