Bomb exploded in a Baghdad street; Saddam Hussein to be transfered
Iraq, Politics, 6/24/2004

A car bomb exploded in a Baghdad street on Tuesday as a convoy of US police drove past, killing two Iraqi bystanders, police said. They said a bodygaurd of Iraqi minister of state Adnan al-Janabi was killed along with a six-year-old boy. Janabi himself was not in the area.

U.S. and Iraqi officials have warned that guerrillas will step up a campaign of car bombs and assassinations as the June 30 formal handover of sovereignty to an Iraqi government approaches.

Meanwhile, the United States plans to turn over legal, but not physical, custody of Saddam Hussein and some other prisoners to the Iraqi interim government soon after it takes over on June 30, a senior official said on Tuesday. "We understand the importance of transferring the high-value detainees to the Iraqi interim government upon their request, which we anticipate will be received shortly after July 1," the official in Iraq's U.S.-led administration said. "Because the Iraqi interim government is not currently in a position to safeguard these detainees, at least in large numbers, our current plan calls for the transfer of legal responsibility over a certain number of high-profile detainees...while physical custody will remain with the multinational force in Iraq," he told reporters.

The official, who asked not to be named, confirmed Saddam would be among the first group to be legally handed over to the interim government. It had not been decided how many others would be transferred in the same way.

Previous Stories:
  Eight Iraqis were killed in different attacks; Iraqi group kills Korean hostage   (6/23/2004)
  Turkish PM denies report   (6/21/2004)
  Al-Sader was invited to take part in the Iraqi national congress   (6/21/2004)

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