President Bush: Saddam Hussein Will Be Handed Over to the New Interim Government at an Appropriate Time - 2004-06-15

President Bush stated that the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq will hand over former dictator Saddam Hussein to the new interim government at an appropriate time. On Tuesday at the White House, Mr. Bush said the coalition wants to ensure there is sufficient security to guarantee Saddam's trial for the horrific crimes committed by his regime. Senior Iraqi officials have indicated that, as far as they know, Saddam will be handed over after the transfer of sovereignty on June 30. A coalition spokesman said on Tuesday in Baghdad that according to international law, the coalition cannot hand over Saddam to a non-sovereign government while hostilities continue. Earlier, the interim president of Iraq stated that Baghdad must first ensure it can protect the former dictator and provide for a fair trial. In a separate development, U.S. General Mark Kimmitt mentioned that there may have been casualties following an attack on a convoy of civilian contractors near Baghdad airport. In the southern city of Basra, officials reported that two explosions have halted operations on an oil production and export pipeline, attributing the incidents to saboteurs.