Saddam 'to face just 12 charges'

The presiding judge says Saddam Hussein's morale is low

The Iraqi government says Saddam Hussein will face only 12 charges when he goes on trial, despite a possible 500 cases against him.

A spokesman said the 12 charges of crimes against humanity were fully documented and there was no point "wasting time" dealing with all 500.

He reiterated the government's plan to start the trial within two months.

The judge in charge of the trial says the former dictator's morale is low because of the number of accusations.

Death penalty

Government spokesman Leith Kubba said on Sunday: "We are completely confident that the 12 fully documented charges that have been brought against him are more than sufficient to ensure he receives the maximum sentence."

It's illegal to issue charges against the Iraqi president this way Issam Ghazawi, Saddam Hussein's legal team

Saddam Hussein, who was ousted by US-led forces and captured in December 2003, faces the death penalty if convicted.

Speaking on the shortened charges, Mr Kubba said: "The position of the government is to speed up the trial."

Some of the charges Saddam Hussein will face will concern the chemical attack on the Kurdish village of Halabja in 1988, the invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and the repression of Shias in 1991.

Issam Ghazawi, a spokesman for Saddam Hussein's legal team, criticised Mr Kubba's comments.

"The appropriate channel is for the accusations to come through the court and for the lawyers to receive a copy of the indictment," he said.

The judge in charge of the trial, Raed Juhi, told a Saudi newspaper on Saturday that "the ex-president's morale is low because he realises the volume of accusations for which he will be judged".

Mr Juhi added: "Saddam Hussein has his complete mental faculties and has been neither constrained nor pressured during questioning."