AMMAN, Jordan, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- The family of toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has dismissed his defense team with the exception of one Iraqi lawyer, it was reported Tuesday.
The English-language Jordan Times quoted a statement signed by Saddam's eldest daughter, Raghad, as saying that "none of the attorneys, except for Iraqi lawyer Khalil Dulaimi, will have the right to act on behalf of Saddam."
Dulaimi has been the only lawyer to see Saddam and attend his questioning in Iraq in the past year.
Raghad, who has been living in Jordan with her sister and their children for the past two years, cited the "unique nature of the case" for the decision to dismiss over 2,500 volunteer lawyers from around the world, 800 of whom are Jordanians.
A spokesman for Saddam's family, Abdul Haq al-Aani, told the paper, partially owned by the Jordanian government, that the decision was taken to "stop the legal chaos and confusion" caused by conflicting statements from different attorneys.
He said the dismissal was "not meant against one person or another, it's because the case is very sensitive and requires concerted efforts."
