ICRC visits Saddam Hussein, his aides

A delegation representing the International committee of the Red Cross including one doctor visited Saddam Hussein on Friday but refused to give any details over his health conditions, at a time the chairman of the Iraqi criminal court Salem Chalabi announced that investigations stopped with the toppled Iraqi President waiting for appointing lawyers to defend him.

The spokesman for the committee in Baghdad, Nada Doumani, said that " a team from the committee including one doctor talked for a long time with Saddam Hussein on July 30." The Iraqi human rights minister Bakhtyar Amin Ali announced several days ago that Saddam suffers " a chronical prostate disease." Doumani added " we do not give details on the health condition of the detainees we visit, but we can confirm that the prison authorities follow up with him medically."

Doumani added that Saddam Hussein wrote a message to his family in the fourth visit of the committee. She added " He received in the past one message from his family whom we will give three other messages from him yesterday ( Tuesday). She explained that the matter takes some time because the messages should be military monitored," noting simultaneously that Saddam Hussein received four messages from his family which is in Jordan.

The ICRC visited on Saturday, some 11 of Saddam Hussein's aides and met with 100 of former officials under detention.