The United States has contributed 75 million US dollars to the Iraqi Special Tribunal for the trial of ex-Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and his top associates, a senior official said Thursday in Washington.

"This is designed to help ensure that they have the resources and the training to conduct fair, open and effective prosecutions," deputy spokesman of the State Department Adam Ereli told a regular briefing.

The American embassy is working closely with the Iraqi legal and judicial authorities in coordinating the assistance, the spokesman said.

Saddam, 67, was for the first time brought to the tribunal on Thursday, facing a series of charges of crimes against humanity.

The former Iraqi leader, captured by US forces last December, was transferred on Wednesday to the Iraqi interim government for "legal custody" .