Iraqi government to hand over Saddam´s body to his tribe

Source: Xinhuanet | 12-31-2006 08:30

BAGHDAD, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- The body of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, who was executed by hanging at dawn Saturday, will be handed over to his tribal leader on Saturday night, to be buried in his village of Uwja on Sunday morning, a senior provincial official told Xinhua.

"In short time, the governor of Salahudin province Hamad Hamoudal-Qaisy, his deputy and Sheikh Ali al-Neda, head of the Saddam's tribe, will receive the body of Saddam Hussein," deputy governor of Salahudin province Abdullah Jabara told Xinhua by telephone.

"The handover of Saddam's body will be in Baghdad's Green Zone tonight," Jabara said.

Earlier in the day, Jabara said the province will not send representatives to attend a burial of Saddam in Baghdad, insisting that the executed leader should be interred in Uwja village where his sons were buried in 2003.

The government "told us to send provincial representatives, including the governor or his deputy and the leader of Saddam's tribe to the burial of executed Saddam," said Jabara.

"I answered that we will not go to Baghdad unless they agree to give us his body to hold a suitable funeral for him and bury him in Uwja village beside his sons Uday and Qusay," he added.

At dawn on Saturday, the first day of four-day Islamic festival Eid al-Adha, or Greater Bairam, Saddam was executed by hanging in Baghdad.

Hours after Iraqi government hanged Saddam, a series of bombing attacks hit Baghdad and Kufa town near the holy Shiite city of Najaf, killing scores of people.

Editor:Du Xiaodan