[JURIST] Iraqi officials are attempting to persuade the chief judge in the Saddam Hussein trial [JURIST news archive] to remain in his position, according to prosecutors speaking Sunday. A tribunal official confirmed Saturday that Kurdish judge Rizgar Amin [Wikipedia profile] had officially filed his resignation [JURIST report] in protest over Shiite leaders' objections to how he was running the trial. Commentators say Amin's resignation could bring further disrepute to the already-contentious proceeding, which also drew high-level public criticism from US Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) during a visit to the Baghdad tribunal [JURIST report] last month. Reuters has more.