The trial of Saddam Hussein, scheduled to open on October 19, will almost certainly have to be postponed, a senior British official said recently.
He said it would be difficult for the Iraqi administration to complete preparations in time. No agreement has been reached on basic requirements, such as whether the glass round the dock should be bullet-proof. A witness protection scheme was far from ready.
There were reports earlier this year that preparations for the case, including the collection of evidence, were being hindered by the continuing violence in the country. On Wednesday at least 25 people were killed and 87 wounded when a bomb exploded at the entrance to a Shia Muslim mosque in Hilla, south of Baghdad, as hundreds of worshippers gathered for prayers ahead of the breaking of the fast on the first day of Ramadan.
The British official said he did not know when the Iraqi administration would ”get their act together” over Hussein’s trial and suggested it could be delayed until after the Iraqi election in December. Hussein will be tried for the massacre 25 years ago of about 150 Iraqis in the village of Dujail. It is the first criminal case to be brought against the former dictator. — Â