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London: Ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein should be tried in Iraq if the Iraqis have a "proper independent judicial process", British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said.

"We only try people internationally if there isn't the capacity within a country of trying people for the crimes they have committed against the citizens of that country," Blair said yesterday (Dec 16, 2003) in an interview to British Forces Broadcasting Service.

"There is something like the remains of 4,00,000 human beings that have been found in mass graves already.

"There is a very strong feeling in Iraq that he should be tried in Iraq," he said.

In a separate interview with the BBC Arabic Service, Blair reiterated the Iraq Survey Group's October report, which found "massive evidence" of a "huge" system of secret laboratories in Iraq.

When asked if he hoped the capture of Saddam would lead coalition forces to Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, Blair said, "There is obviously that possibility there, but I think in any event, we have got to carry on the work that we are doing."

He then stressed, "The Iraq Survey Group has already found massive evidence of a huge system of clandestine laboratories, workings by scientists, plans to develop long range ballistic missiles.

"Now frankly, these things weren't being developed unless they were being developed for a purpose..."

Later a spokesman of the Downing Street said the Prime Minister's remarks referred to the interim report published by the Iraq Survey Group and not to any new findings.

Asked what his Christmas message to British forces was, Blair replied, "This year, more than any other, to give thanks to them, not just on my behalf, but on behalf of the whole country.

"Whatever people thought of the decision to go to war in Iraq, everybody supports our troops themselves – they have done a fantastic job."

In both interviews, Blair urged former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party to start working for the reconstruction of Iraq.

"It is extremely important to give a strong message to Sunni Muslims and even former Saddam supporters that they would not be excluded.

"What is extremely important for us is to give a very strong message to the Sunni population in Iraq that they have a place in this new Iraq."

He was keen to offer reassurance to those, like Saddam Hussein, who are Sunni Muslims, that they will not be left out of efforts to reconstruct the country.

He said they were "not going to be excluded" and he wanted the country to be "truly representative of all the people in Iraq."

"And it is even true that there are people...who were in the Baath Party under Saddam, who were there, not because they wanted to be, but because they had to be, and we should also be reaching out to some of them also," Blair said.

PTI



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