Iraqis Given Legal Custody of Saddam
The United States turned Saddam Hussein and 11 of his deputies over to Iraqi legal custody on Wednesday, an official said, the first step toward trying the former dictator on charges expected to include the massacre of Kurds in 1988 and the invasion of Kuwait two years later.
Saddam will remain in an American-controlled jail guarded by Americans until the Iraqis are ready to take physical custody of him. That is expected to take a long time, and a trial isn’t likely for several months.
The defendants were informed individually of their rights. An Iraqi judge witnessed the proceedings.
There was no official confirmation from Iraqi authorities, though Prime Minister Iyad Allawi had said that the legal transfer of the 12 defendants would take place Wednesday. They were to appear in court on Thursday for a formal reading of the charges.
“The first step has happened,” Salem Chalabi, the director of the Iraqi Special Tribunal that will try Saddam, told The Associated Press. He refused to elaborate. “I met with him (Saddam) earlier today to explain his rights and what will happen,” Chalabi said.
More steps in the right direction.
Comments are closed.