Saddam trial adjourned to resolve defence boycott

Two defendants in the Baghdad trial of Saddam Hussein made their closing arguments today, but the judge then adjourned for nearly two weeks in an attempt to resolve a boycott of the court by the former Iraqi leader and his lawyers.

Chief judge Raouf Abdel-Rahman said the court would resume on July 24 and warned that if the lawyers did not agree to return by that time, court-appointed lawyers would make the final arguments for Saddam and three other top defendants in the case.