By Ahmed Rasheed and Aseel Kami

BAGHDAD, Mar 13 (Reuters) Iraqis drew few parallels between the trial of deposed President Saddam Hussein and the death of former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic while on trial for war crimes, but hoped Saddam's trial would end soon.

Milosevic, branded the ''Butcher of the Balkans'' for wars that tore Yugoslavia apart in the 1990s, was found dead in his cell in The Hague on Saturday, prompting war victims' relatives and Balkan politicians to say they had been robbed of justice.

Samar Ahmed, 31, a woman lawyer in Baghdad, said the same was true of Saddam. ''If Saddam dies now, he'll die as an innocent person simply because he hasn't been convicted yet, so he'll be a hero for many people,'' she said.

A second attorney, Ahmed Azawi, 42, said that if Saddam died suddenly it would prompt conspiracy theories. ''The Iraqi mind is engaged in conspiracy theories,'' he said. ''If Saddam dies, people will accuse other parties of killing him.'' ''I want him to live and have a legal trial,'' Azawi added.

Saddam's trial, which began in October, has been marked by delays and outbursts from Saddam and his co-defendants but is not expected to drag on as long as the four-year unfinished Milosevic trial.

Saddam was not in court when his trial resumed yesterday as he and his seven co-defendants were testifying one by one.

Most ordinary Iraqis want the trial to end as quickly as possible. ''There is no need for this play,'' said Abu Mohammed, 35, a shop owner. ''He is a criminal and all people know that.

Execute him and that is that.'' The accused are charged with crimes against humanity in connection with the killings of 148 men from Dujail after an attempt on Saddam's life in the mainly Shi'ite town in 1982.

But there were some who said they would prefer Saddam to die during the trial.

''We saw him delivering political speeches and mocking us by saying he is still the president,'' said Adel Abdul Hussein, 28 and unemployed. ''I wish he would die so this farce is finished.'' REUTERS PV BS0923