Saddam Hussein trial after the constitution's approval

A source in the Iraqi government said that the trial of the toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein will start on October 19th.

The source which asked to be anonymous said that the Iraqi authorities chose this date because it comes after completing the general referendum on the new draft constitution to be held on October 15th, noting that Saddam Hussein's defense team was notified about the date of the trial.

A western diplomat in Baghdad doubted the possibility of starting the trial of Hussein at this date. He said that these statements carry a political dimension more than being realistic, giving no further details.

Another source in the Iraqi government announced on Thursday that the trial of Saddam Hussein and other three officials from the former regime: Barazan al-Takriti, Taha Yassin Ramadan and Awad al-Bandar will start on October 15 and 20, adding that the list of accusations includes responsibility for the killing of 150 Shiite in al-Dajil village north of Baghdad following a failed assassination attempt against the toppled president in 1982.

Hussein is also facing the case of being responsible for the two Kurdish massacres by the end of the 1980s and the Shiite uprising in 1991.