Tikrit, Iraq ? Saddam Hussein probably is hiding among the dusty towns or date palm groves of his home region around the town of Tikrit, moving frequently to avoid the Americans and Iraqis hunting for him, the commander of U.S. forces said Friday.

“If he makes a mistake, we’ll have him,” said Maj. Gen. Ray Odierno of the 4th Infantry Division. “That’s what we’re waiting for.”

Odierno’s troops have captured several of Saddam’s former bodyguards in the Tikrit area in the past month and may be closing in on the deposed Iraqi dictator, the commander told reporters traveling with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

The recent captures could help whittle down the network of tribal and family supporters that has so far allowed Saddam to remain hidden, Odierno has said.

It’s believed the former president has been moving and changing hiding places three or four times a day — a tactic he has used over the years to avoid would-be assassins, Odierno said recently. At some raids, U.S. troops have found indications that someone “extremely important” had been at those sites, according to the general. The raids also have netted several Iraqi generals and Fedayeen militia organizers.

Odierno is in charge of some 20,000 soldiers and a sector of Iraq from north of Baghdad to Kirkuk and east to the Iranian border. The Pentagon says American troop efforts have led to a significant improvement in security in the area.

But they acknowledge Saddam could be hiding anywhere — such as the home of a tribal supporter or even a public facility.

Tikrit remains one of the most dangerous places for American troops. Odierno’s division is based in a walled palace compound, its green and white logo posted on the walls and even painted on the marble floor of the main palace building.

Every day, troops here face ambushes and roadside bombs. Every night, the palace compound itself is attacked.