[JURIST] Iraqi President Jalal Talabani [Wikipedia profile] on Thursday praised the Iraqi Special Tribunal [official website; JURIST news archive], a court created to try Saddam Hussein and his allies, and vowed to protect members from purges [JURIST report] because of their earlier roles in the Baath party. Talabani made the promise during a meeting with one of the Tribunal's judges, Raid Juhi, who faces dismissal under legislation due for parliamentary approval Sunday stating that any former member of the Baath party is barred from working for the proposed Supreme Iraq Criminal Court. Under the current scheme, former Baath members of the tribunal will be dismissed in stages following the end of Saddam's trial. AP has more.