U.S. Seeks Assurances for Hussein Hand-Over

The U.S. plans to hand over Saddam Hussein to a sovereign Iraqi government “as soon as possible” after the return of self-rule on June 30 but first wants assurances that Iraq is prepared to handle his detention and trial, American officials said Tuesday.

Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has suggested that Hussein, who has been held at an undisclosed location since his capture by U.S. troops last December, would be turned over before the end of the month for trial by Iraqis. But U.S. officials say international law requires them to hand over the deposed Iraqi leader to a sovereign government, which will not exist in Iraq until July 1, according to the schedule for transfer of power.

Moreover, U.S. authorities want to be sure that the interim government is prepared to prosecute Hussein. Iraqis must have the proper detention space and have a legal system ready to deal with what is sure to be a complex and closely watched case against the ex-dictator.

“Our goal, our priority, is to get him into Iraqi hands as soon as possible, and we expect some time after June 30 to be able to do that,” said Dan Senor, chief spokesman for administrator L. Paul Bremer III.

In Washington, President Bush indicated Tuesday that the question of when and how to transfer custody of Hussein to the new government is a topic of heated discussion between the two countries.

“One thing ... that we don’t want, and I know the Iraqi government doesn’t want, is there to be lax security and for Saddam Hussein to somehow not stand trial for the horrendous murders and torture that he inflicted upon the Iraqi people,” Bush said to reporters in the White House Rose Garden. “So we’re working with them.

“I’m confident that when it’s all said and done, he will stay in jail,” the president said.

“We want to make sure that he doesn’t come back to power, and so therefore, it’s a legitimate question to ask of the interim government: How are you going to make sure he stays in jail?” Bush said. “When we get the right answer, which I’m confident we will, we’re going to work with them to do so, then we’ll all be satisfied.”

Security in Iraq is a major concern. Early today, an official with Iraq’s North Oil Co. was shot with automatic rifles as he drove to work in Kirkuk, officials said. Ghazi Talabani’s slaying followed a recent pattern of Iraqi officials being killed on their way to work. Talabani, a Kurd, was described as head of security at the northern oilfields.

Iraq’s pipelines were also attacked again. Explosions stopped the flow through two pipelines Tuesday, and millions of dollars are likely to be lost in the days that it takes to get the oil flowing again.

In Washington, an administration official insisted that although Hussein is not likely to be turned over to the Iraqis by June 30, “we are looking for a way to do it as expeditiously as possible. The Iraqi government wants him, and we want to give him to them. It’s a question of logistics and operational issues: How can the Iraqis take him, keep him safe and handle him in a way that will be admissible in court? Those kinds of procedures need to be worked out.

“It may be sooner, it may be later. But it’s not like the Iraqis are saying it’s the first thing that needs to be done when sovereignty is returned,” the official said.

Iraqi interim President Ghazi Ajil Yawer seemed to embrace the U.S. position Tuesday when talking with reporters about Hussein. “We must first make sure that we can maintain protection for his life until he goes to trial,” Yawer said in Baghdad. “We are different than him.... We must make sure that he gets a fair trial.”

Iraqi officials are working on setting up a special tribunal to make formal charges against Hussein and other members of his Baathist regime, ousted by the U.S.-led military coalition last year.

The tribunal is responsible for gathering evidence against Hussein and building a case against him. Some reports have indicated that the tribunal is almost ready to file charges against Hussein and some of his aides. American authorities also are known to have interrogated Hussein extensively.

Since Hussein’s capture, the Bush administration has made clear its desire that he be tried and judged by Iraqis. But the continuing occupation and Iraq’s threadbare legal infrastructure have delayed his hand-over, U.S. officials say.

Violence also continues to be a problem.

In western Baghdad, gunfire from a highway overpass struck three vehicles carrying civilian contractors, authorities said. Two people were killed and three wounded, the U.S. military said. The identities of the dead and the names of their employer or employers were not available.

The attacks come a day after a suicide car bombing in central Baghdad struck a three-vehicle convoy of General Electric workers. Eight Iraqis, two British security men and three other foreigners from the U.S., France and the Philippines were killed.

Since the U.S. invasion of Iraq last year, more than 50 civilian contractors are believed to have been killed. Insurgents have targeted contractors, viewing them as collaborators with the U.S.-led occupation.

The Iraqi police commander of the town of Sadat al Henda, near Hillah, was killed Tuesday on his way to work, U.S. officials confirmed.

McDonnell reported from Baghdad and Reynolds from Washington. Paul Richter in Washington contributed to this report.