Prosecutors to pin Saddam on 12 charges

SADDAM HUSSEIN could face up to 500 charges, but prosecutors will focus on 12 well-documented cases, including the gassing of thousands of Kurds in northern Iraq, an official said yesterday.

The announcement was made as the government pressed ahead with efforts to start the trial of the ousted dictator within two months.

It also came a day after US Marines said they had discovered 50 weapons and ammunitions caches over the past four days in the restive Anbar province. The find included a recently used “insurgent lair” in a massive underground bunker complex that included air-conditioned living quarters and hi-tech military equipment, including night vision goggles.