Saddam lawyer terms Iraq government illegal, denounces trial plan

AFP, June, 2004

AMMAN (AFP) — Saddam Hussein's leading lawyer denounced as illegal, plans by Iraq's interim government to take over and put on trial the ousted former dictator.

Jordanian lawyer Mohammad Rashdan was reacting to statements by Iraq's prime minister Iyad Allawi that Saddam and other former leaders held by the US-led occupation forces would be transferred within two weeks to the new Iraqi government ahead of their going on trial.

Rashdan told AFP that "Allawi is not qualified to deal with this issue because he is the product of the (US-led) aggression on Iraq which is illegal ... and this government is also considered illegal".

"As a result it is totally out of the question for the prisoners to be handed over to the Iraqis," Rashdan said.

On Monday,...