600 lawyers to despot’s defence

More than 600 Jordanian lawyers have volunteered to defend former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, the President of the Jordanian Bar Associatio...

More than 600 Jordanian lawyers have volunteered to defend former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, the President of the Jordanian Bar Association said today. ‘‘I expect more volunteers and thousands of Arab and international lawyers to register their names to be part of the defense team,’’ Hussein Mejali said. There are about 7,000 members of the Jordanian Bar Association.

Mejali said the Arab Lawyer’s Union, which comprises members from across the Arab world, is setting up an international team for Saddam’s defence. ‘‘We are all willing to spare no efforts to help the Iraqi president,’’ Mejali said.

Officials at the Arab lawyer’s Union, based in Cairo, Egypt, could not be reached for comment.

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Mejali said last week he believed Saddam was unlawfully deposed by coalition forces and unlawfully captured by US troops. He maintains Saddam is Iraq’s legitimate president as the US-led occupation has no legality. Mejali urged UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan ‘‘to bring about protection to Iraq and its people, as well as availing legal protection to President Saddam Hussein.’’

Meanwhile, a British General commanding multinational forces in Iraq said today the fight against smuggling and lawlessness in Iraq will take time as these were part of the ‘‘national architecture’’ under former dictator Saddam Hussein. ‘‘Crime was a state-sponsored industry,’’ said Major General Graeme Lamb at a press conference in Baghdad.

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