Allawi: The trial of Saddam and his aides is after one week

The interim Iraqi prime minister Eyad Allawi said that the trial of the aides of the toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein will start next week. But he did not specify a date for trying Saddam Hussein who has been held in prison since one year.

In a speech he had delivered before the Iraqi national council ( parliament) yesterday, Allawi said that another aid for the toppled Iraqi President was detained and will be tried beside Saddam Hussein and other aides, in remarks to the detention of Ezz Eddine al-Majid on Monday evening. Al-Majid's name is not on the list of persons wanted by the Americans which includes 55 names.

In September, Allawi calls for starting the trial of Saddam and his aides before the beginning of the elections. However, the removed administrative chairman of the court Salem al-Chalabi accused Allawi of playing with the course of the trial to enhance his popularity, resulted then in postponing the date of the trial.