Saddam's lawyers say court is 'dysfunctional'

Saddam Hussein’s lawyers today said the Iraqi court that is trying the deposed leader for war crimes was unlikely to provide him a fair trial.

As he arrived in the Jordanian capital from Baghdad, former US attorney general Ramsey Clark, one of the lawyers, said: “It seems pretty clear, but sad that the court is dysfunctional.”

Saddam’s chief Iraqi lawyer Khalil al-Dulaimi said: “We expect the court to collapse very soon.”

Despite the problems, Clark said the lawyers would return to Baghdad later this week for a scheduled Sunday hearing.