December 21, 2005

The trial of Saddam Hussein adjourned until Thursday, capping a session highlighted by the former leader's allegation that he was beaten by his American captors.

"I have been hit by the Americans and tortured. Yes, I've been beaten on every place of my body and the signs are all over my body," he said on Wednesday.

The trial's chief prosecutor said that if American-led multinational forces had abused Saddam, he would be transferred into the custody of Iraqi troops. The prosecutor, Jaafar al-Mousawi, said he would investigate.

Just three of the four prosecution witnesses scheduled to give evidence on Wednesday had time to take the stand before the presiding judge called the adjournment at 8.40pm (1740 GMT).

Saddam, 68, on trial for mass murder, has been detained by US forces since his capture two years ago.

"Our enemy is not the American people. Our enemy is the American government which is destroying Iraq," he said.

'Brave men'

Saddam also described fighters resisting the US forces' presence in the country as "brave men", adding that they were doing "good work".

The former president had defiantly boycotted the last hearing two weeks ago after denouncing the legality of the tribunal and telling the judge to "go to hell".

Saddam's half-brother, Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, who on Wednesday was accused of supervising torture sessions after a 1982 assassination bid against the then Iraqi leader, told the court his hands were "as clean as those of Moses".

"This hand has committed no crime," he said after a witness, who testified from behind curtains to preserve his anonymity, said he was tortured with electricity while Barzan looked on, eating grapes.

Saddam and seven of his associates, including Barzan, who at the time was in charge of the secret police, are being tried over the killing of 148 Shia civilians from the village of Dujail, north of Baghdad.

Abu Ghraib prison

The witness said that during one torture session "Barzan was there eating grapes and I was screaming". He said he was arrested, along with his family, a day after the assassination bid on Saddam.

The secret witness said he was tortured while being held for 17 days at the Dujail intelligence centre where he identified the bodies of two of his sons whom police alleged were involved in the assassination plot.

The witness and his family were later transferred to Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad where they spent 14 months before being exiled to a desert area.

During his detention in Abu Ghraib, prison guards repeatedly abused the prisoners, beating them, the witness said.

'Dripping in blood'

Another witness, who testified earlier in full view of the cameras and witnesses, said "they would take one of us away and he would return in a sheet, dripping in blood".

Ali Mohammed Hassan al-Haidari, who was 14 at the time, said he was locked up with hundreds of others in the local intelligence headquarters after the government's clampdown.

Saddam and his co-defendants have all pleaded not guilty to charges including murder and torture but face the death penalty if convicted.

Al-Haidari said he recognised Barzan, who at the time was in charge of the secret police and who, he said, was involved in interrogating detainees.

Denial

Barzan angrily denied being involved in torture and accused the witness of lying.

"I will call my own witness whose shoe is more honourable than you and your tribe. You dog!," he shouted at the witness.

Addressing the presiding judge, Barzan also accused witnesses of "singing the same song", repeating similar accusations using similar words.

"It's your duty as president of this court to convince me I'm guilty," he said.

Defence concerns

All eight defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges which carry the death penalty.

Earlier, the Qatari lawyer on Saddam's defence team once again complained about lack of security for the attorneys.

"We cannot continue with this case if there is deficiency in security," Naji al-Nuaimi said.

"We were threatened at the airport and later put up in a house with no door to the lavatory," he complained.

Two defence lawyers were assassinated shortly after the start of the trial on 19 October.

The trial is not expected to extend past Thursday when it is likely to be adjourned again until mid-January because of the announcement of Iraq's election results, holidays and the Haj, the annual pilgrimage to Makka.
Agencies