Hussein lawyers postpone their visit

AMMAN, Jordan – A team of lawyers claiming to represent Saddam Hussein on Saturday postponed a visit to Baghdad, hours after saying its representative would defy death threats to meet with the deposed Iraqi dictator.

Mohammed Rashdan, who heads a defense team appointed by Hussein’s wife, Sajida, said lawyer Ziad Najdawi’s trip to Baghdad, originally scheduled for today, “was postponed for a little while because of technical reasons.”

Rashdan said the defense team postponed Najdawi’s trip after learning of new issues concerning the Iraqi court it wanted to examine before sending the envoy.

He declined to elaborate, but told The Associated Press that the visit “is still on and will take place as soon as possible.” A new date for the visit had not yet been set.

Earlier Saturday, Rashdan said Najdawi was making the trip to present Iraqi authorities with the power of attorney signed by Hussein’s wife and try to meet Hussein.

“We are trying to move for the defense of Mr. President Saddam Hussein, despite our concern for the safety of our colleague,” Rashdan said earlier. “The trial began, and the president has been denied his legal right to a lawyer, which is in violation of international law and the due process.”

The defense lawyers have claimed that Iraqi authorities have warned them not to travel to Iraq.

Members of the defense team say they have also received anonymous death threats.

On Friday, the defense team announced that the daughter of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi will join Hussein’s defense team, which already includes lawyers from Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia and Western countries such as the United States, Britain, France and Belgium, to fight the war crimes charges the former Iraqi leader is facing.

Hussein and 11 other defendants, all former members of the ousted Iraqi regime, faced court in Baghdad for the first time Thursday on war crimes and genocide charges. Defense lawyers were not present for the brief arraignment.