“Every now and then there are clashes between the Iraqi army and the Shiite militias,” one senior police officer told NIQASH, on condition of anonymity. “There are conflicts about who is in charge of what. And the army have been ordered by the government to search for vandals and thieves but there are huge problems in completing this mission.”
“We don't actually know who is in charge of Tikrit,” he complained. “None of the different forces – the army regiments or the Shiite militias – respect one another's decisions. Trying to coordinate with these different groups is also very complicated.”
As one travels around Tikrit some of the loudest sounds come from the vehicles belonging to the Shiite militias who tour the streets; they have religious songs blaring from their vehicles continuously. You also see other vehicles who distribute food to fighters all over the city; the food is prepared in large pots on makeshift, road side kitchens and the cost of the meals is paid for with donations from Shiite Muslim tribes in southern Iraq.
Rumour has it that the Iraqi government hasn't been able to deliver food to the soldiers and the militias' fighters in some cases because of corruption.
One of the most famous parts of Tikrit is the area where many palaces are located. As the BBC reports: “Tikrit's palaces have a somewhat mythical status. The city is widely cited as having the highest number of luxurious palaces built during Saddam's time”. Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was from Tikrit and during his reign, anywhere between 60 and 100 palaces were built here.
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