Transfer Could Include Saddam Handover [View All]

By EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press Writer

UNITED NATIONS - The transfer of sovereignty to Iraq (news - web sites)'s interim government on June 30 will include control of prisons and could lead to the handover of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) for trial by Iraqis, Britain's U.N. ambassador said.


AP Photo



Saddam has been held in an undisclosed location since his Dec. 13 capture by U.S. forces and is being interrogated by the CIA (news - web sites) and FBI (news - web sites). The United States considers him a prisoner of war and has said it intends to eventually hand him over to Iraqis for trial.


The control of prisons has become a highly sensitive issue following revelations of physical and sexual abuse of Iraqi detainees by U.S. soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad.


British Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry said Thursday that letting Iraqis run the prisons was "totally consistent" with the transfer of sovereignty. Asked whether that meant Saddam would be turned over to the interim government, the ambassador indicated it did.


"I think we've always said that at some stage, and as soon as possible, Saddam Hussein should be handed over to the Iraqis for trial by Iraqis. And the sooner we can do that the better," Jones Parry said.

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more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=736&e=3&u=/ap/20040604/ap_on_re_mi_ea/un_iraq_saddam

Wonder what the US officials will have to say.........