Sources from Saddam Hussein’s clan of Al-Baijat in Al-Ouja, south of Tikrit, stated that Saddam’s funeral reception cost 32 million Iraqi Dinars ($25,000), most of which was paid by the family of his son-in-law Hussein Kamil, whereas the costs of rice, meat, sugar, tea and coffee were covered by members of his tribe of Al-Bu Nasir, according to the Al-Badeel Al-Iraqi website. The sources denied rumors that Saddam’s grave was desecrated by the family of his son-in-law, who was killed in 1996 by his cousins and uncles along with his brother, Saddam Kamil, and father, Kamil Hassan Al-Majid, at their residence in Saidiya, Baghdad, after their return from Jordan where they defected with their wives. Their third brother, Jamal Kamil, was assassinated in Baghdad in 2005 after his return from a trip to Amman. The sources added that the hall where Saddam is buried is guarded closely by over 80 guards from the tribe.

The head of the economic development committee in the Basrah Governorate Council said that the Shalamcha border crossing between Iraq and Iran, east of Basrah, was reopened to the movement of travelers and merchandise by order of the Basrah governor, after it was closed by British troops Thursday. The Governorate Council said that the border crossing could only be closed by orders from the central government in Baghdad or the local council, not from British troops. The council had exempted Iranian trucks from applying for Iraqi visas to enter the country two months ago in order to facilitate trade exchange between the two countries. Anonymous sources inside the Defense Ministry had told the Fatihoon website that the Badr Brigade is on high alert under orders from Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim in anticipation of a U.S. assault after the detention of two Iranian officials in Erbil and the closure of the Shalamcha border crossing. The sources alleged that dozens of Iranian Intelligence officers were taking positions around Baghdad, in Salman Pak, Hilla and Kut, in preparation for an attack to drive out the remaining Sunni population from districts on the Rusafa side, east of Baghdad, in order to assume full control by Shi’ite political parties loyal to Iran. WNA News reported that the Iraqi police had captured three Iranian citizens in Mosul without passports today.

Al-Malaf Press also quotes an unnamed security source in Karbala who claimed that the group that attacked the Governorate Council building in Karbala, killing several American soldiers and destroying a Hummer vehicle, is from a well-known political movement and was aiming to abduct an American military officer who was inside the building. Karbala governor Aqeel Al-Khuza’I had said that the attacking force, which arrived in six four-wheel-drive vehicles from out of Karbala, was dressed similarly to U.S. and Iraqi Special Forces and was very professional and highly trained. On the other hand, Abdul Aal Al-Yassiri, chairman of the Karbala Governorate Council, said that the gunmen were American and Iraqi troops and that the whole incident was due to lack of coordination between troops inside and outside the governorate building. SCIRI’s Buratha News Agency also repeated the claims that the incident was a result of clashes between two different American contingents.

The Iraqi Rabita website reports from Iraqis living in Syria that Iraqis entering the Syrian border from Iraq are now only given two weeks of residency, instead of the recurring three months that used to be given to Iraqi visitors up until Iraqi President Jalal Talibani’s visit to Damascus. Syria is the only country that allows residency for Iraqis after Jordan started refusing entry to Iraqis between the ages of 18 and 35, and Egypt started granting entry visas only to Iraqis with permanent residency in Jordan or Syria. The main concern of Iraqis who are trying to flee the country is that once Syria starts restricting Iraqis from entry, there will be no other exit for Iraqis attempting to escape the violence.

Several Iraqi websites reported the death of 16-year-old Ahmed Manajid Al-Dulaimi at the hands of U.S. troops in Ramadi after he spit at their patrol. Eyewitnesses alleged that U.S. troops pulled over and severely beat up the young man for several minutes while his mother was begging them to leave him alone before they killed him and left the area.