Saddam meets lawyer as henchmen face trial

Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein met a defence lawyer for the first time since his capture a year ago, days before several of his top aides are due to appear in court for war crimes hearings.

The unidentified lawyer spent four hours yesterday with the 67-year-old ousted leader at Saddam’s secret detention site, said his chief lawyer, Ziad al-Khasawneh.