Judge in Saddam trial quits

Iraq: The chief judge on the panel that sentenced deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussain to death said on Saturday that he has quit that role.

Raid Juhi, however, said that he will remain as judge and spokesman for the Iraqi High Tribunal.

Juhi said that another judge will take over as chief investigator for the tribunal, which handles the proceedings against Saddam and his aides.

He said he was replaced during annual tribunal elections because he did not run for re-election as main investigator.

"Somebody else was chosen," he said, declining to identify his replacement because of security concerns.

Juhi has been a high-profile figure in the trials against Saddam, who was sentenced to death for the killing of 148 Shiites in Dujail in 1982.