U.S. team heads to Iraq for case against Saddam

The U.S. Justice Department this weekend dispatched a high-level team to Iraq to assemble evidence for war crimes cases against former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and members of his regime, a Justice Department official said on Saturday.

A Justice Department team of about 50 lawyers, investigators and prosecutors began departing to Iraq this weekend to begin culling evidence for war-crimes cases, the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

The group — to be called the Regime Crimes Adviser’s Office — will report to the Coalition Provisional Authority headed by U.S. administrator L. Paul Bremer, the official said.

As the head of the National Security Council, Condoleezza Rice designated the Justice Department earlier this year to take the lead in developing the case against Saddam, White House officials said.

“The Justice Department was given the lead in assisting the Iraqis in the trial of Saddam Hussein and Dr. Rice gave them broad authority,” said White House spokesman Trent Duffy.

Legal groundwork
Investigators want to lay the groundwork for war crimes cases against Saddam and others that would eventually be turned over to Iraqi prosecutors, the Justice Department official said.

Staff from FBI and U.S. Marshals Service were to assist with the investigation, the official said.

Investigators from other nations including Britain, Spain and Australia will assist with the investigation, the official said.

Saddam, 66, was overthrown weeks after U.S.-led forces invaded Iraq last March and has been in the custody of U.S. forces since he was captured near his hometown in central Iraq in December.