Saddam Hussein will be tried on 12 charges out of 500 as prosecuting him on all charges would be " waste of time," an Iraqi official said on Sunday.

Saddam and his top aides were likely to be tried within two months on crimes committed during his era, including crimes against the Kurds, Laith Kuba, spokesman for prime minister, told reporters.

"There should be no objection that Saddam's trial will be held within this period, as the government believes that his trial should be held as soon as possible," Kuba said.

He said judges in the Iraqi Special Tribunal believe that Saddam could be tried on "only 12 documented charges and could face up to 500, but trying him on all these charges would be waste of time."

Raed Johi, an Iraqi Special Tribunal judge, told local media Saturday that Saddam's morale is low because he realizes the volume of accusations for which he would be charged.

He said that Saddam's trial would be held within the next two months on 12 charges which might give him either life imprisonment or death penalty.

Saddam is being held by US forces at a base near Baghdad along with 11 former senior officials, on many charges of crimes against humanity, including alleged use of chemical weapons against the Kurds in the 1980s.

Source: Xinhua