‘This is a theatre, real criminal is Bush’

‘‘I am Saddam Hussein, President of Iraq,’’ he repeated, before grilling the unnamed judge about his authority. Video footage of the 67-year-old Saddam, whose face was worn and deeply lined, was broadcast around the world soon after his 30-minute appearance.

Saddam refused to recognise that he was guilty of a crime in invading Kuwait, saying: ‘‘I’m surprised you’re charging me with that as an Iraqi when everyone knows that Kuwait is part of Iraq.’’

The judge told him these were legal procedures, but Saddam interrupted him. ‘‘Law, what law?’’ he asked. ‘‘You are putting Saddam on trial when the Kuwaitis said they could buy Iraqi women for 10 dinars on the street. The Iraqi soldiers went to defend the honour of Iraq, so what right do these dogs have?’’ he said, drawing a reprimand from the judge.

‘‘This is all a theatre,’’ Saddam said with a half-smile. ‘‘The real criminal is Bush.’’

Following this, Kuwait denounced Saddam’s description of its citizens, and demanded he be sentenced to death for the 1990-91 Iraqi occupation. ‘‘Without a doubt, after these crimes Kuwait will demand that Saddam Hussein be executed according to the judicial system in Iraq,’’ Kuwaiti Information Minister Mohammad Abulhasan said.

Hearing the charge that he ordered the gassing of thousands of Kurds in an attack at Halabja in 1988, Saddam shrugged it off, saying he had heard of the incident through the media. Similar hearings were held later for 11 of his former aides.

Without a lawyer to represent him, Saddam refused to sign a statement acknowledging he had been charged and read his rights. A foreign lawyer hired by Saddam’s wife to represent him said the court’s refusal to allow a defence attorney at the arraignment was a breach of his human rights.

Told that legal counsel would be provided if he could not pay for his own lawyers, Saddam said: ‘‘But everyone says, the Americans say, I have millions of dollars stashed away in Geneva. Why shouldn’t I afford a lawyer?’’ —(Reuters)