The US raised concerns with the Iraqi government about procedures and timing of Saddam Hussein's execution, but the military said it had "no role" in the process, it emerged today.
Saddam Hussein
Officials from the US embassy discussed several issues with Baghdad, spokesman Sean McCormack said. He declined to give specific details.
"We were talking about the timing," Mr McCormack said.
"We raised issues with respect to procedures and timing. But ultimately these were decisions for the Iraqis to make...At the end of the day, justice was served."
The US military in Baghdad also declared today that they would have handled the execution differently.
"Had we been physically in charge at that point we would have done things differently," US military spokesman Major General William Caldwell told a news conference in Baghdad.
Major General Caldwell said US forces, who had physical custody of Saddam for three years, left all security measures at Saddam's execution, including searching witnesses for mobile phones, to Iraqi authorities.
Reacting to criticism of the hanging that has embarrassed US officials, moderate Shias and ethnic Kurds, Major General Caldwell urged the Iraqi government to reach out to disillusioned Sunni Arabs.
"At this point the government of Iraq has the opportunity to take advantage of what has occurred and really reach out now in an attempt to bring more people back into the political process and bring the Sunnis back," he said.
Earlier this week, a senior Iraqi official said the US ambassador had urged Iraq's prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, to delay Saddam's execution by two weeks but relented in the face of concerted pressure.
Iraqi officials are facing criticism over the unofficial video of the hanging, showing Shi'ite officials mocking the former Iraqi leader on the gallows.
It has angered Saddam's fellow Sunni Arabs and sparked international condemnation.
Conflicting reports from Baghdad today said an official was being questioned over the unauthorised video of the execution of Saddam captured on a mobile phone. The images - in contrast to the official version of events - showed the former president being taunted by guards, telling him to "go to hell".
The White House said US concerns about the way Saddam's execution was carried out were expressed to the Iraqi government through the US embassy and military officials in Baghdad. A White House spokesman said President Bush had not seen the controversial video of the execution.
Mr Bush's focus was on the judicial process that was followed in Iraq and "the way forward," Scott Stanzel said.
"The president has said that he was pleased that the Iraqi people carried forward a judicial process, tried someone who has murdered hundreds of thousands of Iraqi citizens, and carried forward justice that was unimaginable during his reign. And that's where the president's focus was," he said.
Asked why Bush had not seen the video, Stanzel replied: "Because that's not his focus."
The controversy over the execution video erupted as Mr Bush prepares to unveil a new strategy on Iraq.
"Certainly the president is narrowing the choices," Mr Stanzel said. "But this is an entire package of options, whether it's on the military front, the economic front, the political front. He wants to announce that as a whole."
He said a date had not yet been set for Mr Bush's announcement.
Agencies