WP: Hussein's Trial Not Likely to Begin This Year, U.S. Official Says

[kskiska]

BAGHDAD, Sept. 24 -- The trials of former president Saddam Hussein and his top lieutenants likely will not begin this year, a U.S. official here said Friday, contradicting a recent pronouncement from Iraq's interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi, that Hussein's trial could commence as soon as next month.

Allawi has sought to speed up the trials by exhorting judges and investigators to accelerate their work and by replacing the administrator of the special tribunal that will conduct the trials. The prime minister has said he wants the proceedings to begin before national elections, scheduled for January.

But the U.S. official, who is part of team of Americans advising the tribunal, cast doubt on that timetable because of the complexity in proving that Hussein and other top officials ordered soldiers and low-ranking government officials to commit atrocities.

"These are very difficult trials," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "These are command-responsibility cases . . . . You have to follow the chain of command up. It takes time and it takes effort, and it's not self-evident and there's no way around it. These cases proceed at their own pace."

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48640-2004Sep24.html

[FloridaPat]

1. I thought the trial had started several months ago? What was all

that stuff about?

[n2mark]

2. USA

The US wants to hide him, no telling what he would say. Maybe because we supported him? Maybe he will talk, oh rummy what have you done?

[Moderator]

3. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=862709