Ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein could face up to 500 charges at a tribunal, but he will be tried on only 12 well documented counts because prosecuting him on all would be a "waste of time," the prime minister's spokesman said Sunday.
Laith Kuba also said Saddam was likely to be tried within the next two months on a range of charges, including alleged crimes committed in Iraqi Kurdistan.
"There should be no objection that a trial should take place within that time," Kuba said during a press conference. "It is the government's view that the trial of Saddam should take place as soon as possible."
No date has been set for Saddam's trial. The toppled president has been held in a U.S.-run detention facility in Baghdad since being captured in December 2003.
"The number of charges on which he will be tried are 12 and the judges are confidant that he will be convicted of these charges," Kuba said.
© 2005 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
