TO all the glorified Iraqis, the zealous Arabs and to all freedom loving people throughout the world.

May peace of Allah, His Mercy and Blessings be upon you,

You are aware that we have been standing firmly since the occupation of Iraq to defend the legitimate Iraqi leadership of President Saddam Hussein Al-Majeed.  We were highly motivated by our belief in Allah and in our cause, although we have absolute belief in the illegality of the Special Court.

The trial of the legitimate President of Iraq – Saddam Hussein and members of his leadership has become clear evident where grave and serious pressures and dictations are practiced against the judges which led to the resignation of two judges who decided not to betray their oath or to relinquish the honor of their profession or to suffer feelings of guilt.  History will acclaim them highly for this.

We have reached a turning point after the appointment of a new judge who is partial, nervous and excessive enmity.  These qualities were evident in his dealing with the lawyers and with our clients.  The session of Sunday 29 January 2006 turned into a farce.  Security men attacked Mr.Barazan Tikriti inside the courtroom. The defense lawyers were put under pressure and muzzled.  The judge topped his conduct by dismissing lawyer Saleh Armouti out of the courtroom.  Anarchy prevailed and the judge violated the established rules of procedures of any court in the world.  The judge also threatened to dismiss the defense lawyers.  He forgot or pretended to forget that neither he nor any other person has this right, which is limited to the client.  According to information leaked from some lawyers, the attack against President Saddam, Mr.Barazan and some lawyers was plotted in advance.  The judge was hasty to issue death sentence against our clients in response to foreign dictations.  He was the best person inclined to represent such foreign dictations.

Being aware to all the surrounding circumstances, and in spite of all pressures, difficulties and threats against the lives of the lawyers and their families, which were accumulated by the murdering of some lawyers who passed away as martyrs while families of other lawyers fled the country,and  Under the law of the jungle and the right of the might law, the Defense Committee faced only on possibility which is to withdraw from such illegal, incompetent and unconstitutional court which have made it’s decisions in advance as repeatedly stated by its general prosecutor and by more than one senior government official.  The Defense Committee does not intend to participate in the proceedings of this court while it is handcuffed and restrained in order to give legality to an illegal court.  The Defense Committee does not want to be a party to a prefabricated sentence.  For this, the Defense Committee has decided unanimously to boycott and not to participate until the reasonable and objective requirements of a fair, open, transparent and just trial are met in accordance with the following conditions:

1-     Judge Raouf Abdul-Rahman should be disqualified and he should not have any authority to review any case against our clients in accordance with our plea to disqualify the judge because of his avowed enmity after being sentences twice with life term imprisonments.

2-     The Court should issue an apology for Lawyer Saleh Armouti.

3-     Lawyers and their families should be provided with actual security.  The U.S. and the Iraqi governments should give guarantees to protect the lawyers and to stop acts of pursuing and assassination attempts against them.

4-     That secure conditions be provided to enable the lawyers to get access to the Defense witnesses and to the clients and to move freely.

5-     The Court should be just, impartial, open and transparent.

6-     The prosecution should be disqualified because of their avowed enmity to our clients.

7-     All Decisions and proceedings of the January 29^th 2006 session should be deemed null and void.

8-     Periods of adjournments between sessions of the trial should be agreed upon with the President of the Defense Committee.  The time of every one stay should not be less than one month as was previously agreed upon with judge Rizgar Amin.

9-     The Defense Committee will not abandon its right to defend its clients.  The Defense Committee will not recognize any defense lawyer who may be appointed by the court to defend its clients.

10- The Defense Committee persists firmly on the principle that preliminary submissions should be dealt with and decided first.

11- The trial should be removed to another country where security may be provided.

"Oh Allah, Our Lord, be our witness that we have stated our argument".

Lawyer

Khalil Dolaimi

President of the Defense Committee