AMMAN, Jan 7: The US military in Iraq has confiscated Saddam Hussein's books as well as notes and poems he wrote in jail to “screen” them before returning them to his lawyers, one of his attorneys said on Sunday.

“We asked the Americans to hand us the books the president (Saddam) read in jail as well as the notes and poems he wrote but they want to screen them and read them in full before giving them to us,” Jordanian lawyer Issam al-Ghazzawi said.

“They promised to give them back once they are done but they did not set a date,” he added.

Saddam was a prolific writer and is known to have penned several books and poems in his lifetime.

Ghazzawi said he asked the US authorities in Baghdad about the Quran which Saddam held at all times during his trials.

“The president (Saddam) willed his Quran to Badr, a lawyer and son of Awad Ahmed al-Bandar,” who was sentenced to hang along with Saddam and Barzan al-Tikriti, Ghazzawi said.

“The Americans said the Quran is with the assistant state prosecutor, Munkiz al-Faraon,” who witnessed Saddam's execution on Dec 30 in Baghdad.

Saddam was seen clasping the Quran as he was taken to the gallows and then handed it over to one of the witnesses and asked him to give it to someone named Badr.—AFP