Saddam's Trial Testimony Triggers Heated Exchange
15 March 2006
Saddam Hussein has testified for the first time at his murder trial, triggering a heated exchange with the chief judge who then closed the courtroom to journalists.
Nearly two hours later, the judge continued the trial to April 5.
At the outset of Saddam's testimony, he called the tribunal a "comedy" and insisted he is still president. But the judge reminded him he is now a defendant charged with murder, and told Saddam to stop making political speeches. The courtroom was then closed.
Saddam's appearance comes two weeks after he admitted giving orders that led to the killing of 148 Shi'ite males in the Iraqi village of Dujail in 1982. He said the orders were legal, and that a judge had found all of the executed guilty in a failed assassination attempt against him.
Saddam and his seven co-defendants face death by hanging if found guilty of the killings.
Earlier Wednesday, Saddam's half-brother, the former head of Iraq's intelligence, denied any role in the killings. Barzan al-Tikriti said he did not order any detentions and only visited the village twice.
In previous court sessions, prosecution witnesses have testified that Barzan oversaw the arrest of suspects in a government crackdown on villagers after the assassination attempt.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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