The trial of Iraq's former president Saddam Hussein could start within a couple of months, Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said late on Wednesday. "We cannot pinpoint a specific date, maybe a month or two," Jaafari told reporters at a late-night reception in Kuwait.
"Maybe August 15 or September 15. But we have succeeded in making the deadline not to exceed three months, instead of being open-ended," he added.
August would be an earlier trial date than those Tribunal sources have said are likely - in principle the rules stipulate a 45-day delay between a judge referring a case for trial and the start of courtroom proceedings. The referral can only be made on completion of the investigative stage of the process.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said last week the Special Tribunal questioning former regime loyalists about war crimes could begin the trial of Saddam by the end of 2005.
Saddam and 11 of his top lieutenants, who lost power after a US-led invasion in 2003, are being held at a detention facility on the outskirts of Baghdad.
They are all expected to be charged with genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during three decades in power.
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