In an urgent e-mail to The Associated Press, the lawyers said Clark‘s life was in danger and "threats were directed against him by name." Clark is currently not in Iraq for the trial of Saddam and seven co-defendants, which resumed on Wednesday.

In their statement, the lawyers said the court‘s failure to investigate the recent slaying of two lawyers for the eight defendants showed "there is no consideration for the lives of the lawyers and defense witnesses, while the court and prosecution witnesses enjoy high protection."

The failure to investigate the killings "denies the claims of equality" between the trial‘s defense and prosecution teams, said the statement, which was issued by the Jordan-support group for Saddam‘s legal team. Its members could not be reached for an interview Thursday.

Clark told The Associated Press in an interview two weeks ago that threats had been made against Saddam‘s chief Iraqi lawyer Khalil Dulaimi, but he had received none.

During trial proceedings earlier this month, the judge ordered that a man be removed from the visitors‘ gallery for making threatening gestures toward the defense.

Saddam and his co-defendants have pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering more than 140 people who were shot in the town of Dujail, north of Baghdad, in 1982 after an attempt on Saddam‘s life.