Saddam will be handed over to the Iraqis, his trial by the beginning of 2005

Lawyer Salem al-Chalabi who assumes the arrangements of trying the toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein said yesterday that the American forces will hand over Saddam Hussein and senior officials in his former regime to the Iraqis before handing over the authority decided on June 30th.

He told journalists upon his arrival in Kuwait that the coalition forces has now more than 100 members of the former regime and they will be handed over to the Iraqis before the authority transfer, including Saddam Hussein, Ali Hassan al-Majuid and Tareq Aziz.

Al-Chalabi added that Iraq's trials will start by the beginning of 2005, but Saddam Hussein will not be necessarily the first to be put in the accusation cage.

The lawyer stressed upon his arrival in Kuwait where he will collect evidences against Saddam whose forces occupied Kuwait in 1990 that the sanctions will be implemented by the Iraqi special court including execution sentences.