Lawyer fears Saddam prison cell assassination plot

Saddam Hussein’s chief lawyer today accused unnamed Iranian-backed Iraqi politicians of plotting to assassinate the ousted dictator in his prison cell and held the US responsible for his safety.

Ziad al-Khasawneh said he based his information on a message allegedly sent by a former Iraqi government official he identified as Hazem al-Obeidi addressed to Saddam’s Jordan-based legal team and posted on a pro-Saddam website.