US troops said they hadfound surface-to-air missiles and hundreds of other weaponsincluding plastic explosives buried in an orchard near SaddamHussein's hometown of Tikrit yesterday.
A US military spokesman described the haul as one of themost significant weapons seizures of recent weeks and a sign ofhow Saddam loyalists were still equipped to pose a threat toUS forces.
He said 23 SA-7 surface-to-air missiles were found as wellas 1,000 pounds of plastic explosives, 500 hand grenades, dozensof mortar bombs and hundreds of detonators which could be usedto set off car bombs or other explosions.
Also discovered were rocket-propelled grenades similar tothose used yesterday in an attack on a Baghdad hotel housingofficials of Iraq's US-led administration.
"This was a significant find but is just one of the numerousweapons caches we know exist around the country," the spokesmantold reporters.
He said the owner of the orchard, about 10 miles outsideTikrit, was closely linked to Saddam's ousted regime.
Troops were led to the cache by an informant. They hadraided the orchard three days before but found only one weaponon that occasion, the spokesman said.