AMERICAN and British forces could find it “extraordinarily difficult” to track down Saddam Hussein, according to a Kent MP who served in the last Gulf conflict.

Faversham and Mid Kent MP Hugh Robertson said he was not surprised by the American strategy of trying to topple Saddam early on in the war.

He was commenting after the American forces mounted a targeted offensive against key Iraqi installations in Baghdad.

The MP commented: “This fits with my expectations. The key to a speedy resolution to this crisis is to topple Saddam himself and I suspect that once he has gone, the rest of the regime will follow very quickly. If the American forces think they have any opportunity to get him, they will take it and it makes perfect sense,” he said.

The MP is a former officer in the Life Guards and served in the last Gulf conflict as an Adjutant of a main battle tank regiment.

He warned, however, that tracking down Saddam could prove “extraordinarily difficult” because he had built up a sophisticated system designed to evade capture, including a number of Saddam “doubles.”

The MP also suggested that Iraqi desertions around the country’s borders were highly likely. He added: “That would be what I expect. The last time we fought there, the Iraqi army was poorly led, poorly equipped and demoralised. If anything, I would expect they are even more so now."