Saddam

Baghdad, Dec. 29 (AP): Saddam Hussein will be executed no later than Saturday, said an Iraqi judge authorised to attend his hanging, and American and Iraqi officials said the deposed President was still in the hands of US guards.

The physical transfer of Saddam to Iraqi authorities is one of the last steps before his hanging.

“Saddam Hussein has not been turned over to Iraqi authorities,” a US official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

A senior Iraqi government official said a meeting would be held around 10 pm Baghdad time (12.30 am IST) between officials from Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s office and US officials to set a time for the execution.

Munir Haddad, a judge on the appeals court that upheld Saddam’s death sentence, said he was ready to attend the execution.

“All the measures have been done,” Haddad said. “There is no reason for delays.”

Al-Maliki has signed Saddam’s death sentence, the same senior Iraqi official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to release the information.

“We have agreed with the Americans that the handover will take place only a few minutes before he is executed,” the official said.

Saddam’s lawyers issued a statement calling on “everybody to do everything to stop this unfair execution”. The statement also said the former President had been transferred from US custody, though this was later denied by the authorities. There was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy.

Al-Maliki said opposing Saddam’s execution was an insult to his victims. His office said he made the remarks in a meeting with families of people who died during Saddam’s rule.

“Our respect for human rights requires us to execute him, and there will be no review or delay in carrying out the sentence,” al-Maliki said.

Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, said U.S. forces were on high alert.

Yesterday, two half brothers visited Saddam in his cell. He handed them his belongings.