Tareq Aziz meets family: I am not concerned about trial

Iraq former deputy premier Tareq Aziz met on Saturday members of his family, for the first time since his detention by the American invasion forces after its invasion in April 2003.

Aziz's lawyer Bade Aref Izzat said that Aziz "was able to see his wife Voilete, his two daughters Zeinab and Saja, his sister Amal and her son Mazen, for half an hour." Izzat added that "members of Aziz's family were happy about the meeting though they found Aziz very tired as a result of the detention, noting that members of his family got a promise to allow sending him books and cloths."

His daughter Zeinab said "though we have not seen him in two years, they only gave us 30 minutes to see him in the presence of two American soldiers who speak Arabic," adding "he asked us about other members of the family and what is taking place in the outer world and latest news on the Iraqi constitution." Zeinab indicated that Aziz is not scared from the trial, and quoted him as saying "I had not hurt any one. My record is clean and therefore I am not concerned over the trial."