Special report:Tension escalates in Iraq

Special report: Saddam Hussein's Fate

    WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. forces in Iraq are ready for any escalation of violence that might be caused by the imminent execution of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, a Pentagon official said Friday.

    Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, said American troops in Iraq were at high alert because of the environment they operated in and because of the current security situation, and were ready for any increase of violence as a result of the execution of Saddam Hussein, which news reports said could be carried out Saturday.

    Meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warned the American public of the possibility of a terrorist attack associated with the impending execution of Saddam Hussein, U.S. media reported Friday.

    But officials said the there was no credible, specific intelligence indicating that such an attack was imminent against the United States, the reports said.