US to transfer Saddam to Iraqis soon: spokesman

The United States will transfer on Wednesday former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and other jailed ex-Iraqi top officials to the Iraqi interim government, said Adam Ereli, deputy spokesman of the State Department, on Tuesday.

"We are working closely with the government of Iraq to facilitate the transfer. Warrants of the arrests of 12 high-value detainees were issued by an Iraq criminal court today," said Ereli at a news briefing.

Ereli described the transfer as "legal custody", saying the Iraqi interim government has asked the multinational forces to continue to maintain physical custody of the high-value detainees until the Iraqi government is fully capable of providing for their secure detention.