World boycotting Saddam trial: Rice

The US Secretary of State has accused the world community of doing little to help prosecute the deposed leader.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice bitterly accused the world community of boycotting the trial of deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and doing little to help prosecute him.

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In a speech to the Heritage Foundation think tank on Tuesday, Rice named no countries and gave no specifics about a lack of support for the trial of Saddam and seven henchman charged in a 1982 massacre of Shi'ite villagers.

But after praising world support for UN resolutions on Iraq, she said, "I'm sad to say that the international community has barely done anything to help Iraq prosecute Saddam Hussein."

"The international community's effective boycott of Saddam's trial is only harming the Iraqi people who are now working to secure the hope of justice and freedom that Saddam long denied them," Rice said.

The trial opened on October 19 with Iraqi judges and prosecutors trained largely with US and British help. But the proceedings have been interrupted by Saddam's theatrics and are currently adjourned until December 21.