Iraq's special tribunal, the court set up to try Saddam Hussein, confirmed today that the former president would be tried on October 19 for crimes against humanity, but said it had the right to delay the trial.
In a statement, the tribunal said Saddam and six others, including his former vice-president and his half-brother, would be tried in connection with the deaths of 143 Shi'ite men from the village of Dujail following an 1982 assassination attempt.
The trial date was previously announced by the Iraqi government, but had not been confirmed by the tribunal.
In a separate statement, the tribunal, which has been furiously protective of its independence, said it had the right to delay the trial "when there are good reasons".
"When there is a request to delay the trial and it is legal, the IST will agree," it said in the statement dated September 1.
"This delay would be according to the article 162 of penal procedure of the IST," it added, without specifying what the article stipulated.
Saddam's chief lawyer, Khalil al-Dulaimi, has indicated that he will file for a delay when he appears in court on October 19.
He says he has not had enough time to prepare for the trial, particularly to review the evidence against his client. Iraqi officials say he has been given sufficient time in accordance with Iraqi law.
Dulaimi and his defence team are also expected to question the legitimacy of the court, which was established during the US occupation that followed the 2003 invasion.
Sources close to the tribunal have indicated that October 19 may see a brief appearance by Saddam and his co-defendants followed by an immediate postponement for the trial judge to consider defence motions.
Dujail is the only crime for which Saddam has so far been charged, although he and a dozen of his former top lieutenants were informed last year that they could be tried for genocide and war crimes for the killing of Kurds in the 1980s and the brutal suppression of uprisings by Shi'ites and Kurds in 1991.
Evidence is still being gathered by the special tribunal in connection with those cases.