AMMAN, Nov 24: The International Committee for the Red Cross said on Wednesday its staff had recently visited former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, who is in US custody awaiting trial on war crimes charges.

But the IRCR declined to give details about Saddam's state of health, following reports of several problems. "The ICRC discussed (Saddam's) state of health with the detaining party while underlining the right of every prisoner to medical supervision in accordance with the Geneva conventions," spokesman Mwein Kais said in Amman.

It is the fifth visit by the ICRC to Saddam since his capture by US forces in December last year, but Mr Kais declined to say exactly when it took place. The Iraqi defence minister said on Tuesday that Saddam would face trial on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity before the end of the year.

In September, the New York Times said Saddam Hussein had been treated for hernia problems and eye trouble. He refused a surgical biopsy to determine whether his prostate condition is cancerous, but a US official said "there is no health issue that would prevent him standing trial".

The Iraqi interior minister, who visited Saddam in September, said he was "in good health and did not seem to have lost his arrogance". -AFP