Saddam urges tolerance in Iraq

2006-10-16 14:16

Baghdad - Ousted Iraqi president Saddam Hussein has urged Iraqis to assume "tolerance" toward those who betrayed them, expressing his readiness to forgive those who helped kill his two sons Uday and Qusay in July 2003, according to Khalil Duleimi, the head of the former leader's defence team.

Duleimi also indicated that Saddam had directed his lawyers not to attend the "Anfal" trial due to resume on Tuesday to hear further testimony about the alleged acts of genocide committed by the former president and seven of his top aides in a Kurdish village.

Duleimi told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that he and Saddam shared a fast-breaking meal at his detention place in Baghdad on Saturday night.

Also attending were former US attorney general Ramsey Clark, another American identified only as Professor Doppler, and the Jordanian lawyer Issam Ghzawi.

All four lawyers are members of the Amman-based defence team of the former Iraqi leader.

Saddam in 'good health'

"We found the president in good health and high morale, and our discussion focused on legal aspects of the trial," Duelimi said.

He said that he was asked by Saddam to relay to the Iraqis his first message since his arrest in December 2003, urging them "to assume tolerance towards those who betrayed them and committed mistakes, provided that they quit their behaviour".

He referred to those who collaborated with the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 that resulted in the downfall of Saddam's totalitarian regime on April 9, 2003.

Sectarian fighting

"The president called on the Iraqis to quit sectarian fighting that has been ignited by the Americans and the Iranians and to put an end to the process of accounts settlement which is taking place over the Iraqi land," Duleimi said.

Saddam also expressed "readiness to forgive those who helped the Americans to kill his two sons" in a shootout at their hideout in Mosul in July 2003.

However, the ousted Iraqi leader urged continuation of resistance against invasion forces "until liberation of Iraq", Duleimi said.

Boycott of trial

Saddam asked the defence team to continue their boycott of the Anfal trial until their demands were met, he added.

The defence lawyers accused the Iraqi government of meddling in the trial by removing the court's former chief Abdullah al-Ameri, who once told Saddam "you are not a dictator", and replacing him with Mohammad al-Oraibi last month.

They also want the court to give them enough time to check the authenticity of about 10 000 pages presented to the court by the public prosecution.

Sapa-dpa

- SAPA