President of the Jordan Bar Association, Saleh Armouti, who recently joined Saddam's defense team, told journalists the attorneys will seek Saddam's approval this week to file a law suit against the American and British leaders in a European international court.

The lawyers want to try them on charges of illegally invading and occupying a sovereign country.

Armouti made his comments shortly before he and other members of Saddam's defense team left the Jordanian capital, Amman, to Baghdad before the former Iraqi leader's trial resumes Tuesday.

He also said the lawyers will ask the Iraqi authorities to move Saddam's trial from Baghdad to Jordan or Qatar.

Saddam and seven of his former aides are standing trial on charges of killing 148 Shiites in the Iraqi town of Dujail north of Baghdad in 1982 after a failed assassination attempt against the Iraqi president.

Armouti said the defense team will also request Saddam's immediate release "because his arrest is a violation of international charters after the United States declared an end to hostilities and war in Iraq."

Saddam's defense team includes former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark and former Qatari Justice Minister Najib al-Nuaimi, as well as Iraqi lawyer Khalil al-Duleimi and Jordanian Issam al-Ghazawi.

Armouti recently joined the team, along with another Iraqi, Bahraini, Sudanese and an Egyptian attorney.