US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday accused the international community of shirking its obligation to help prosecute ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein by effectively boycotting his trial.

Without naming specific countries, Rice said she was saddened many nations had done little to help prosecute Saddam. Many European states declined to cooperate because they oppose the use of the death penalty at the trial.

"All who expressed their devotion to human rights and the rule of law have a special obligation to help the Iraqis bring to justice one of the world's most murderous tyrants," she said in a speech to the Heritage Foundation think tank.

"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 denied them," she added.

A State Department official declined to say which countries Rice was referring to. But he pointed out that many nations had opposed the fact that if found guilty Saddam faced the death penalty which is outlawed across Europe.

"Being opposed to the death penalty and helping Iraqis to find out the truth and hold those accountable for war crimes are not mutually exclusive," said the State Department official, who asked not to be named.

International human rights groups have questioned whether the court can provide a fair trial and doubt its legitimacy because it was established during the US occupation of Iraq.

Saddam is being tried with seven others by a special court in Iraq. The trial has been chaotic since the start and is now adjourned until December 21.

Better neighbors

Rice also said despite growing international support for rebuilding Iraq, more needed to be done, especially by Iraq's Arab neighbors.

"Many nations especially Japan and South Korea have distinguished themselves with their generosity but others like Iraq's neighbors should be doing a lot more," said Rice.

She targeted Syria and Iran, which she called "no friends of Iraq" and accused Damascus of not doing enough to stop the flow of insurgents across the border into Iraq.

"And Iran continues to meddle in Iraqi affairs and to support violence in Iraqi society," she said.
 
At a 2003 donors conference in Madrid, about 40 countries and international institutions pledged more than US$13 billion to help Iraq and Rice said it was now time to deliver all of that aid to the Iraqi people.

Rice said there was a growing consensus of support for Iraq which had not been present in the early days after the US-led invasion in March 2003.

In the months ahead, she said the size and shape of US and other forces would "evolve" as Iraqi security forces became more competent, with some nations reducing the number of troops and others extending their mandates.

More than 2,000 US soldiers have been killed in Iraq. Coalition members had lost nearly 200 soldiers while 500 have been wounded, said Rice.

US President George W. Bush said on Tuesday that about 30,000 Iraqis have also died since the US invasion in 2003.

Rice's speech to the Heritage Foundation followed several made by Bush about Iraq in the run-up to this week's election. Bush was due to give his fourth and last speech on Wednesday.

(Chinadaily.com via agencies December 14, 2005)