Amman - The family of toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, awaiting trial on charges of crimes against humanity, said on Tuesday it has sacked the Jordanian head of his defence team amid bickering over the handling of the case.

"We the undersigned have decided to discharge you since we cannot continue to work together," said a statement signed by Saddam's wife and three daughters, referring to Jordanian lawyer Mohammad Rashdan.

Other members of Saddam's Amman-based defence team confirmed Rashdan had been suspended, accusing him of acting alone and seeking to be the sole lawyer for the former Iraqi dictator.

Saddam was brought before an Iraqi court on July 1, just three days after the end of the US-led occupation, for an initial hearing on seven charges of crimes against humanity.
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