Saddam Hussein could be hanged within hours, a senior Iraqi source said today after Saddam's lawyer said US forces had handed over the former president to Iraqi authorities for execution.
"Things have changed in the past three hours. There were some issues ... and now that is resolved so it seems it's possible he may be hanged tonight," the source, who is in a senior position of authority, said after a day of confusion.
However, the start of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha tomorrow raised the possibility of a delay until after the week-long holiday is over, he added: "It's not certain," he said.
Najib Naimi, a former Qatar justice minister who served on Saddam's legal defence team, said he expected his client to be executed soon.
"We think he might be executed by tomorrow as a gift for the Iraqis," he told BBC News 24.
"Maybe early tomorrow morning he might be executed ... we are now talking with them regarding the body itself," he said. "We would like to have his body to return it to the family so they can bury him at any place they wish."
Earlier another of Saddam's defence lawyers, Khalil al-Dulaimi, told Reuters that US officials had transferred the ousted president to Iraqi authorities.
Saddam, whose appeal against a conviction for crimes against humanity was rejected this week, has long been formally in Iraqi custody but physically held by US military guards.
As during his appearances in court, US officials are concerned that Saddam be treated with due propriety and so a physical transfer to a site beyond US control seemed to be likely only very close to the execution.