Saddam: 'I Am Not Afraid of Execution'
By HAMZA HENDAWI, Associated Press Writer
Saddam Hussein told the judge at his trial Monday that "I am not
afraid of execution" during a chaotic court session in which the first
witness took the stand and testified that the former president's
agents carried out random arrests, torture and killings. The outburst
was one of several by Saddam or his co-defendants at the trial that
also saw a brief walkout by his defense lawyers.
At one point, Saddam appeared to threaten the judge, saying: "When the
revolution of the heroic Iraq arrives, you will be held accountable."
Chief Judge Rizgar Mohammed Amin replied: "This is an insult to the court.
We are searching for the truth."
Earlier, however, Saddam told the court he understood the pressures
upon the judges and defended his actions. He and his seven
co-defendants could be executed if convicted on the charges stemming
from the deaths of more than 140 Shiites in 1982.
Before the trial adjourned until Tuesday, Saddam repeatedly
interrupted testimony and appeared to try to rally Iraqis against the
U.S. occupation.
"This game must not continue, if you want Saddam Hussein's neck, you
can have it!" Saddam said. "I have exercised my constitutional
prerogatives after I had been the target of an armed attack.
"I am not afraid of execution," said Saddam, who then addressed the
judge, saying, "I realize there is pressure on you and I regret that I
have to confront one of my sons. But I'm not doing it for myself. I'm
doing it for Iraq. I'm not defending myself. But I am defending you."
When the first witness Ahmed Hassan Mohammed spoke, Saddam told him:
"Do not interrupt me, son."
"If it's ever established that Saddam Hussein laid a hand on any
Iraqi, then everything that witness said is correct," he said.
He also told the court that he "would like (the witness) to be
examined by an independent medical institution."
Amin had a difficult time keeping order during several clashes between
the witnesses and the accused, with Saddam and his co-defendant and
half brother, Barazan Ibrahim, gesturing and shouting together. In one
instance, Saddam pointed to the sky with his right hand while he held
Islam's holy book, the Quran, in his left.
"Everyone must remain calm and be civil," he said repeatedly.
At one point, Saddam and Ibrahim became so angry while Saddam sparred
verbally with the judge and a second witness, Jawad Abdul-Azziz Jawad,
that guards tried to calm them. Ibrahim smacked them on the hands with
a notebook.
Saddam himself became so angry that he threw some papers he was
holding, and they eventually landed on the floor.
Earlier, former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, who is helping
represent Saddam, sought to address the court, touching off an
argument that led to the walkout by the defense team.
Amin at first said only Saddam's chief lawyer, Khalil al-Dulaimi,
could speak. Amin said the defense should submit its motion in writing
and warned that if the defense walked out then the court would appoint
replacement lawyers.
After the defense lawyers left, Saddam, shaking his right hand, told
the judge: "You are imposing lawyers on us. They are imposed
lawyers. The court is imposed by itself. We reject that."
Saddam and Ibrahim then chanted "Long live Iraq, long live the Arab
state."
Ibrahim stood up and shouted: "Why don't you just execute us and get
rid of all of this!"
When the judge explained that he was ruling in accordance with the
law, Saddam replied: "This is a law made by America and does not
reflect Iraqi sovereignty nor values."
It was the third court session in the trial of Saddam and seven
co-defendants -- accused in the 1982 killings after an assassination
attempt against the president in Dujail -- where Saddam at times
appeared to be in control of the court as much as the presiding judge.
After the lawyers spoke, Mohammed began his emotional but often
rambling testimony. He said that after an assassination attempt on
Saddam, security agencies took people of all ages, from 14 to more
than 70. They were tortured for 70 days at intelligence headquarters
in Baghdad before being moved to Abu Ghraib prison where the abuse
continued, he said.
"There were mass arrests. Women and men. Even if a child was
1-day-old, they used to tell his parents, 'Bring him with you,'"
Mohammed said. He said he was taken to a security center where "I saw
bodies of people from Dujail."
"They were martyrs I knew," Mohammed said, giving the names of the
nine whose bodies were there.
The second witness, Jawad, who was only 10 when the assassination
attempt occurred, testified how Iraqi troops used helicopters to
attack the city and bulldozers to destroy the fields.
Jawad said Saddam's regime killed three of his brothers, one before
the assassination attempt and two after.
When al-Dulaimi asked how someone who was 10 could remember such
details, Jawad said "a 3-year-old child remembers a lot. An elementary
school student does not forget if a teacher slapped him in the face. I
live a catastrophe."
After the walkout and a 90-minute recess to resolve the issue, the
court reconvened and Amin allowed Clark and ex-Qatari Justice Minister
Najib al-Nueimi to speak on the questions of the legitimacy of the
tribunal and safety of the lawyers.
"Reconciliation is essential," Clark told the court. "This trial can
either divide or heal. And unless it is seen as absolutely fair, and
as absolutely fair in fact, it will irreconcilably divide the people
of Iraq."
At that point, the judge reminded Clark that he was to speak only
about the security guarantees for the defense lawyers -- two of whom
have been assassinated since the trial began Oct. 19.
Clark then said all parties were entitled to protection, and the
measures offered to protect the defense and their families were
"absurd." He said that without such protection, the judicial system
would collapse.
Al-Nueimi then spoke about the legitimacy issue, arguing that court is
not independent and was in fact set up under the U.S.-led occupation
rather than by a legal Iraqi government. He said the language of the
statute was unchanged from that promulgated by the former top
U.S. administrator in Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, and was therefore
"illegitimate."
"The illegitimate American bastards are trying to run this court just
as they tried to take over our country," Saddam noted in agreement, as
he held his Quran in the air to illustrate his message.
The first witness had exchanged insults with Ibrahim, Saddam's half
brother, telling him "you killed a 14-year-old boy."
"To hell," Ibrahim replied.
"You and your children will be the ones to burn in hell," the witness
replied.
The judge then asked them to avoid such language and to address their
exchanges to him rather than each other and the audience.
As the testimony continued, Saddam's lawyers objected that someone in
the visitors' gallery was making threatening and obscene gestures
directed to Saddam, and should be removed. Ibrahim leapt to his feet,
spat in the direction of the gallery, and shouted, "There are your
criminals."
The judge ordered the person removed from the gallery and questioned,
and this in turn caused more commotions among the participants in the
trial and the observors. "Who is to be on trial here," they asked.
Mohammed, fighting back tears, described how there had been "random
arrests in the streets, all the forces of the (Baath) party, and
Thursday became 'Judgment Day' and Dujail has become a battle front."
"Shootings started and nobody could leave or enter Dujail. At night,
intelligence agents arrived headed by Barazan" Ibrahim, he said.
Ibrahim interrupted him at one point, saying: "I am a patriot and I
was the head of the intelligence service of Iraq."
At the start of Monday's session, Saddam walked into the court with a
smile, carrying a copy of the Quran and greeted everyone there, his
lawyers, the prosecutors, and the audience. From time to time, he
would glance at his Quran, as though preparing to give a sermon. Most
of the defendants and several of the defense lawyers, including Clark,
and members of the audience stood up out of respect when Saddam entered,
and again when he would read out loud from the Scripture. (Quran).
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Because the trial of Saddam Hussein (or
Sodomy Insane as he is sometimes referred to) is news of importance to
USA citizens and due to the time difference, his trial is being
carried live on several USA news stations, such as Cable News Network
and MSNBC. As a result, it is aired on television beginning at about 2
AM Central USA time until about 5 AM. According to their laws, _only
the judge_ is permitted to ask questions. Prosecution and defense
alike must submit questions to the judge, who, if he is in agreement
that the question is proper, then asks it of the defendant (in this
case, Saddam) or the witness who was called to testify. Like the USA,
Iraq bars the use of cameras in the courtroom except by special
arrangement. What they _are permitting_ is one camera making a video
tape to be used with a twenty minute delay. (I assume they may wish to
edit it as they go along.) So what you will see on American television
is videotape of the event, 20-minute segements of tape, at about 20
minute delays throughout the night. Sunday night/Monday morning was
the _third_ court session; the first 'meaningful' session (the two
earlier sesssions were more 'technical' and 'procedural' in nature;
the lawyers presenting to the judge who would be their witnesses, and
asking for the continuance, etc, and of course, Saddam fussing with
the judge and the lawyers, etc. Now they have Saddam sitting there on
trial. It sort of reminds one of a modern hybrid of the Joe McCarthy
debacle in 1949-50 on television and the Jerry Springer show. If you
happen to wake up at 3 AM turn on MSNBC and watch the show for
yourself. PAT]
Hazma Hendawi (ap@telecom-digest.org)