Iraqi PM wants Saddam trial start, expresses exasperation with judges News
Iraqi PM wants Saddam trial start, expresses exasperation with judges

[JURIST] Speaking to the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington Thursday, visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari [BBC profile] called for the trial of ousted Iraqi president Saddam Hussein to get under way and be "over and done with", expressing exasperation with the Iraqi Special Tribunal (IST) [official website] constituted to investigate and hear his case. According to Jaafari, "There has indeed been some time wasting and I have spoken to the main judge responsible for trying Saddam Hussein… [Hussein] has committed all types of crimes and we do not want an extensive investigation. All we want is a verdict." Earlier this month the IST publicly balked [JURIST report] at government suggestions [JURIST report] that Saddam's trial was imminent. Jaafari himself has previously called for a swift trial [JURIST report] and said that Hussein could face the death penalty. AFP has more.