Saddam verdict could be delayed for some days

BAGHDAD, Oct 29 (Reuters) A court trying Saddam Hussein for the killing of Shi'ites in the 1980s could delay delivering a verdict, due next Sunday, for a few days to give judges more time to review testimonies, the chief prosecutor said today.

Jaafar al-Moussawi said the US-backed Iraqi High Tribunal was still working on the judgement, which could send the ousted leader to the gallows if he is found guilty of crimes against humanity over his role in the killing of 148 villagers.

''We will know a day or two before the trial if they are ready to announce the verdict,'' he told Reuters.

Delaying the sentence, which was originally due for Nov. 5, could be a disappointment for US President George W. Bush and his Republican Party.

Polls suggest Republicans could lose control of Congress in elections on Nov. 7 and a guilty verdict against Saddam could be used by Bush and his allies as a vindication of their policy to overthrow him.

Moussawi expected the verdict -- the first ruling against Saddam by the court -- to include detailed legal reasoning to support the judges' conclusions.

Prosecutors have asked for the death penalty if Saddam is found guilty over his role in the killings which occurred after an attempt on his life in the village of Dujail in 1982.

Iraqi law states an execution must be by hanging. Saddam, 69, has said he deserves to meet this fate by firing squad because he is a military officer.

Any execution could be delayed by appeals and by the up to a dozen other cases the toppled leader could face.

Saddam is also on trial separately on charges of genocide for the ''Anfal'' (Spoils of War) military operation against the country's ethnic Kurds in the late 1980s that killed tens of thousands. Hearings for Anfal are due to resume on Monday.

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