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 | In this file image cleared by the US military, 
 Saddam Hussein appears in a courtroom at Camp Victory, a former 
 Saddam palace on the outskirts of Baghdad, July 1, 
 2004.(AP) |   
 Saddam Hussein will go on trial within two months 
 on charges of crimes against humanity, with prosecutors focusing on 12 
 "thoroughly documented" counts, including the gassing 
 
 of thousands of Kurds in northern Iraq, a 
 spokesman for Iraq's prime minister said Sunday. 
  Saddam's trial could prove to be highly divisive in an already 
 turbulent Iraq that shows signs of deepening sectarian divisions. 
 Reflecting these tensions, the Shiite-led Iraqi government acknowledged 
 Sunday that its forces may have targeted innocent Sunni Muslims in a drive 
 to crush the insurgency in southwestern Baghdad and its suburbs. 
  Starting the court proceedings against Saddam in two months would 
 overlap with the writing of the constitution. 
  "There should be no objection that a trial should take place within 
 that time," said Laith Kuba, a spokesman for Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim 
 al-Jaafari. "It is the government's view that the trial of Saddam should 
 take place as soon as possible." 
  Kuba said the attack with chemical weapons on the Kurdish town of 
 Halabja was one of the charges, but did not elaborate on the other 11. An 
 estimated 5,000 people were killed in Halabja and 10,000 others were hurt 
 in the gassing on March 16, 1988. 
  In recent days, Sunni Muslim organizations have 
 charged that many innocent Iraqis have been arrested in the drive to crush 
 the insurgency and most were Sunnis, the minority that dominated the 
 country during Saddam's rule and are believed to form the insurgency's 
 backbone 
 
 
 . 
  "There is an improvement in security and in the performance of the 
 security forces, but members of the army and police do cause mistakes, 
 which do happen," Kuba said. 
  There were also some claims that "soldiers took advantage and helped 
 themselves to cash and other items. One doesn't rule it out. I think the 
 army needs more disciplinary measures in these cases," Kuba said. 
  Regardless of the complaints and the acknowledged mistakes, the 
 crackdown dubbed Operation Lighting entered its second week Sunday and 
 appeared to have somewhat blunted insurgent attacks in the capital. 
  (Agencies)  |