Saddam Hussein's lawyers report threats at Baghdad airport

Three men threatened Saddam Hussein’s chief lawyer as he boarded a plane from Baghdad to Jordan today, and they were removed from the flight, the Iraqi lawyer and his colleague, ex-US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, said.

The lawyer, Khalil Dulaimi, did not explain how the men threatened him, but said that he believed that one of them was an Iraqi security official.

“I saw three miserable people, one of them was daring airport security and some of the officers there,” Dulaimi told reporters after arriving at Amman’s international airport.

“It seemed he was a man backed (by influential people) and affiliated with one of the security apparatus,” he said.

“I asked airport security to check his identity and they did. His name is with us. I believe he sought to assassinate me, or assassinate the defence team.”

“We appeal for intervention from the United Nations to ensure a fair and honest trial, considering this miserable security situation,” he said.

Clark, who is participating in Saddam’s defence team in the ousted Iraqi leader’s trial on mass murder charges, said: “There were three people that threatened him (Dulaimi) directly and they were planning to board the plane … The security people removed them.”

Clark said other lawyers also received threats in the Baghdad courtroom during the three sessions of Saddam’s trial that were held this week. “There were threats even at the court, on the balcony, there were three people making threats during the trial. I didn’t personally receive any threat, or see anyone follow me.”

During this week’s proceedings, the judge ordered the removal of one man from the visitors’ balcony for making threatening gestures toward the defence.

Clark said the threats in the courtroom were directed at Dulaimi. He said they told the Iraqi lawyer “’we’re going to get you, or something like that’.”

Dulaimi declined to provide other details on the purported threats. But sources close to the defence lawyers said they believed the threats came from individuals affiliated with the Iraqi interior ministry.

Clark said he thought Saddam, who boycotted yesterday’s hearings, would attend the trial when it resumes on December 21.

“I assume he will, but we don’t know what will happen between now and the 21st. There is a pattern of harassment,” Clark said.

The former dictator is charged with the massacre of more than 140 people in the town of Dujail in 1982. He allegedly ordered the killings after an attempt to assassinate him as he was driving into the town.

Clark said some of the witnesses had given evidence that seemed to be “entirely fabricated” or “assisted".

He doubted that some of the witnesses, who were young at the time, could recall details of the massacre.

“How does a 10 or 12-year-old remember details of names?”

Clark said all the witnesses had read from papers. “How do you know who wrote them? You don’t get to examine their notes.”

Early this week Clark addressed the court, asking for the defence team to be given special protection as two lawyers had been killed since the trial began in October.

Today, he said court officials had told him that they agreed with the need for greater security and they would be approaching the relevant Iraqi authorities.

“I think we may have that problem resolved by the time the court resumes in a couple of weeks,” Clark said.