...Straggling along the Tigris, 100 miles north of Baghdad, it was still a stronghold of pro-Saddam feeling and a hotbed of anti-coalition violence until only a few months ago.

But, since Saddam was captured last December in a hole in the ground not far from the town, the attacks have faded away and the population is getting on with the dour business of trying to make a living in the new Iraq.

According to Falah al-Nakib, the governor of Salahadin province, it was Saddam's money that was funding most of the trouble.

"His capture has definitely reduced the finances that were supporting many of these gangsters," Mr al-Nakib said. "There were also some who thought that one day he might come back."

The violence had the tacit support of some local religious leaders, he added. There was also strong animosity towards the coalition from former Tikriti military officers who were heavily represented in Saddam's forces.

"We had a problem with Islamic leaders who were supporting these kind of operations," Mr al-Nakib said.

"We have discussed it with them and now they have come to accept that these actions were not good for Iraq. Now the majority of religious and tribal leaders and former officers have agreed to work together to rebuild our country."

The co-operation of local sheikhs was particularly important in an area of strong tribal bonds, depriving would-be terrorists of a loyal support network.

The tension that pervaded the town six months ago has lifted. The aggressive American patrolling seen last summer and autumn has been scaled down. There are joint US military and Iraqi army checkpoints in and out of the town and the centre is under the control of the local police.

Mr al-Nakib, who spent much of the Saddam era in exile and studied in Britain, credits local coalition commanders with being "good listeners" willing to take advice on how to improve relations with resentful and hostile locals.

As well as rounding up most of the Saddam loyalists in the area they have also released a number of low-risk prisoners as a goodwill gesture.

It was the 4th Infantry Division that restored democracy to the town, organising caucuses to elect officials last September...