Saddam judge threatens to quit over govt pressure

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The chief judge in the trial of Saddam Hussein has tendered his resignation in protest at pressure from the Iraqi government on himself and the court, a source close to the judge told Reuters on Saturday.

The revelation will fuel argument over the U.S.-backed government's ability to give the former president a fair trial in the middle of the bitter sectarian and ethnic conflict that has raged since Saddam's overthrow three years ago.

High Tribunal officials were trying to talk Kurdish judge Rizgar Amin out of his decision, the source said, adding that Amin was reluctant to stay because Shi'ite leaders had criticized him for being too lenient on Saddam in court.

"He tendered his resignation to the court a few days ago but the court rejected it. Now talks are under way to convince him to go back on his decision," the source said. "He's under a lot of pressure; the whole court is under political pressure."

"He had complaints from the government that he was being too soft in dealing with Saddam Hussein and his co-defendants. They (government leaders) want things to go faster."

The killing of two defense lawyers had already highlighted problems with the process amid a virtual civil war that pits Saddam's fellow minority Sunni Arabs against a U.S.-sponsored government run by Shi'ite Muslims and ethnic Kurds intent on hanging a man they say massacred their peoples.

International human rights lawyers have long urged U.S. officials and the new Iraqi government to turn Saddam and his aides over to an international court abroad.

Defense SCORN

"The defense team has long warned about the dangers of political pressure that has undermined the court's independence and integrity," Saddam's chief attorney, Khalil Dulaimi, said.

"We expect the political pressures to mount on the court after ... the farce it has turned out to be," he told Reuters.

"Regardless of whether the chief judge stays or faces are changed this will not alter the defense refusal to recognize the legitimacy of a court created by the illegal occupation."

The source close to Amin said: "There's too much pressure ... it is a question of integrity ... I am not sure if he will go back on his decision. I don't think it's possible."

Spokesmen for the High Tribunal were not available for comment on a weekend following the Eid al-Adha holiday.

The first of an expected series of trials concerns the deaths of over 140 Shi'ite men from the town of Dujail after a failed bid to assassinate Saddam in 1982. The former leader and seven others are charged with crimes against humanity.

There is already a precedent in the trial, which opened on October 19, for replacing one of the panel of five judges -- who quit to avoid a potential conflict of interest -- so in principle Amin's departure may cause little upset.

But in practice, the resignation of the most visible face of the court outside of the dock may be an embarrassment for the Iraqi government and U.S. officials keen to show the world Iraqis are capable of giving their former leader a fair trial.

Amin, 48, told Reuters in November his family worried about him and he had taken on two bodyguards after pressure from friends. But he stressed: "A judge should never be afraid."

Only one other of the five judges has allowed himself to be seen on camera and many witnesses have spoken behind a screen with their voices distorted, fearing retribution.

After hearings last month, Amin was criticized by some observers for allowing Saddam to speak at length, making allegations, including of his maltreatment at American hands.

The judge, whose dry wit and courteous manner have been features of the first seven days of proceedings, rejected the criticism and insisted the defense should have a fair hearing.

ELECTION RESULTS

After rebels seemingly shot down a U.S. helicopter on Friday, killing its two pilots, U.S. commanders warned of a possible increase in violence once the results of last month's parliamentary election are announced.

International experts investigating Sunni complaints of fraud in the December 15 vote will deliver preliminary findings on Sunday or Monday, the head of the team said. An election official said he expected final election results within a week.

An almost final tally of parliamentary seats, obtained by Reuters, confirmed Sunni parties would have about a fifth of the seats, while the dominant Shi'ite Islamist Alliance would fall only a few seats short of retaining its slim absolute majority.

Sunni Arab parties, who abandoned a boycott to take part in the vote, encouraged by an informal rebel truce, are disappointed and angry. But their most prominent leaders seem ready to take part in a grand coalition with Kurds and Shi'ites.

A British journalist recounted a brush with Iraq's feared kidnap gangs last month, writing in several newspapers how U.S. troops stumbled across him five days after he was seized in Baghdad and forced to make a video calling on the British government to pull its troops out of Iraq.

While Phil Sands, 28, was counting his blessings, another freelance journalist, American Jill Carroll, was still missing a week after being snatched by gunmen in the Iraqi capital.

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