Yet another of Saddam Hussein's lawyers was killed on Wednesday. Khamis al-Obeidi, who represented both Saddam and his half-brother, Barzan Ibrahim, was abducted from his house by men wearing police uniforms. Al-Obeidi is now the third member of Saddam's defense team to be killed in the eight months since the ex-dictator's trial began.
According to Iraqi police Lieutenant Thaer Mahmoud, al-Obeidi's body was found in a street in the Shi'ite slum of Sadr City.
Saddam's top defense lawyer, Khalil al-Dulaimi, placed the blame for his colleague's death on the Interior Ministry which Sunnis say has been infiltrated by Shi'ite death squads.
'We strongly condemn this act and we condemn the killings done by the Interior Ministry forces against Iraqis,' al-Dulaimi said.
The Interior Ministry had no comment on the accusation.
A photograph of al-Obeidi's body showed his face, head and shoulders covered in blood.
'We will defy terrorism,' Chief prosecutor Jaafar al-Moussawi told the Associated Press. 'We will continue with the trial and will not be deterred,' he said. Al-Moussawi also noted that many defense attorneys refused offers to live in the heavily fortified 'Green Zone' which would offer them American protection.
Closing arguments in Saddam's trial are now underway. If convicted on charges of crimes against humanity, the ex-Iraqi dictator and his co-defendants face the death penalty.
