BAGHDAD, Dec 25: The United States said on Thursday it would hand over Saddam Hussein’s former official residence to the Iraqi government by Dec 31 after occupying the majestic palace since the 2003 invasion.

“The United States has now moved into our new embassy and we are preparing to turn the republican palace back to the government of Iraq,” embassy spokesman Susan Ziadeh said.

“We had said we would move by the end of the year,” she added. The vast palace, at the very heart of the heavily fortified Green Zone where the Iraqi government and some major western countries’ embassies are located, was built in the early 50s by the last Iraqi king, Faisal II.

It was expanded in 90s by Saddam, who made it his official residence though he also took possession of many other grand mansions across Iraq and built yet more.

After the toppling of Saddam, the palace was initially used as the headquarters of US-led Coalition Provisional Authority. When that body was dissolved in June 2004 the building became the US embassy, housing more than a thousand staff.—AFP