Red Cross delivers Saddam letter

Saddam is entitled to rights under the Geneva Conventions

The International Red Cross has delivered a message from ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to his eldest daughter, who lives in Jordan.

The letter was handed to Raghad Hussein in Amman on Thursday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says.

Red Cross officials visited Saddam Hussein on 21 February, at the secret Iraqi location where he has been held since his capture in December.

The ICRC is responsible for overseeing the treatment of POWs worldwide.

We just act as a post office Ian Piper ICRC spokesman

ICRC spokesman Ian Piper told BBC News Online that the message had been vetted by the US-led occupation authorities.

He said no details of the letter could be disclosed, in line with the Geneva Convention on prisoners of war.

Saddam Hussein, he added, was "one of 11,000 prisoners we are dealing with as a result of the conflict" and is afforded the same rights of confidentiality as the others.

Raghad Hussein - as well as one of her sisters, Rana - have lived in Amman with their children since fleeing Iraq in July.