Judge: Saddam to be executed by Saturday

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Judge: Saddam to be executed by Saturday By LAUREN FRAYER, Associated Press Writer
5 minutes ago



BAGHDAD, Iraq - Saddam Hussein will be executed no later than Saturday, said an Iraqi judge authorized to attend his hanging, while the former dictator's lawyers said he had been transferred from U.S. custody.

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The physical hand-over of Saddam to Iraqi authorities was believed to be one of the last steps before he was to be hanged, although the lawyers' statement did not specifically say Saddam was in Iraqi hands.

"A few minutes ago we received correspondence from the Americans saying that President Saddam Hussein is no longer under the control of U.S. forces," according to the statement faxed to The Associated Press.

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."

In Baghdad, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has signed Saddam's death sentence, a government official said. The official, who refused to be identified by name because he was not authorized to release the information, said that Iraqi authorities were not yet in control of Saddam.

"We will get him when the execution is going to be carried out," said the official, who refused to give other details.

The discrepancy could not be explained.

The defense team statement called on "everybody to do everything to stop this unfair execution."

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