BAGHDAD, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Iraqi and U.S. officials have given conflicting statements on when Saddam Hussein will be hanged after an appeals court upheld his death sentence on Tuesday for crimes against humanity:

* Abdul-Razzaq al-Shahin, appeals court head announcing failure of appeal on Dec. 26: "(The government) has the right to choose the date starting from tomorrow up to 30 days. After 30 days it will be an obligation to implement the sentence."

* Statutes of the Iraqi High Tribunal: "The punishment must be executed within 30 days of the date when the judgment becomes final and non-appealable."

* Iraq's Saddam-era Penal Code: "The death penalty cannot be implemented on official holidays and special festivals connected with the religion of the condemned person." Eid al-Adha, marking the haj pilgrimage to Mecca, runs until work resumes on Jan. 7.

* Senior U.S. administration official on Dec. 28: "I've heard that it's going to be a couple more days, probably."

* Defence lawyer Najib al-Naimi on Dec. 29: "The Americans called the defence team to pick up his personal belongings. All these indications show he will probably be executed tomorrow."

* Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Dec. 29: "There is no review or delay in carrying out the execution." Noting that the constitution and court statutes deprive the president of any right to pardon major offences including crimes against humanity he said no one could reverse the decision to hang Saddam.

* Tribunal spokesman Raed Jouhi on Dec. 28 said timing is now entirely in the hands of the executive branch: "If there is a presidential decree within 30 days, then they can carry it out at any time. But if there is no decree, then after these 30 days it becomes obligatory in any case and it will be up to the Justice Ministry to decide when it wants to carry it out."

* Deputy Justice Minister Bosho Ibrahim on Dec. 28: "The Justice Ministry will not implement it before one full month is up." And on Dec. 29: "If they don't want to break the law, they cannot execute him before the 30 days is up."

* A senior Iraqi cabinet minister on Dec. 28: "The clock is ticking but Saddam is not just any old guy. There are procedures to be followed. Now it's Eid and the haj and it will take time to carry out the sentence."

* Another senior cabinet member on Dec. 29: "It definitely won't be this weekend." He said some Kurdish leaders wanted a delay until Saddam had been convicted in a second trial, for genocide against the Kurds. That trial is to resume on Jan. 8.

* A government source dealing with media facilities on Dec 29: "We are ready and you should be ready too. The execution might be next week."

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