From The Sun -
Why don't you execute us*
By TOM NEWTON DUNN in Iraq
SADDAM Hussein’s trial descended into chaos yesterday as one of his cronies asked: “Why don’t you just execute us now?”
The mad scenes, which included a walkout by the defence team, came as the first witness described life inside Saddam’s torture chambers.
The man, a resident of a town the former dictator persecuted, said he saw a human meat grinder in one cell.
Ahmed Hassan Muhammed, 38, glimpsed the horrific device as he was led into the notorious Abu Ghraib jail.
He said: “I swear by God, I walked by a room and saw a grinder with blood coming out of it and human hair underneath. What is that machine?, I asked. But I was told never to talk about it.”
Ahmed was only a teenager when he was rounded up with hundreds of other residents of the town of Dujail, 35 miles north of Baghdad, in 1982.
Saddam and seven aides are alleged to have slaughtered 148 inhabitants in revenge for a failed assassination attempt.
Ahmed, who spent four years in jail, wept as he told how his older brother was beaten and given electric shocks to force a confession from their dad.
He said other victims were shot in the feet or had all their limbs broken. Secret police tortured a pregnant woman until her child was stillborn and another baby was hurled off a prison balcony.
Ahmed added: “I would need more than ten days to tell you how people I knew were tortured. I want the world to know.”
His evidence was continually interrupted by jeers from the accused, with Saddam laughing uproariously in his face.
Earlier the defendants had refused to recognise the court, with Saddam shouting: “How can it be legitimate when it was appointed by the Americans?”
His co-accused half-brother Barzan Ibrahim yelled: “Long live Iraq, long live the Arab state! Why don’t you just execute us now and be done with it?”
Defence lawyers led by former US Attorney General Ramsay Clark walked out at one point after they were not allowed to speak about security issues.
They returned after assurances from the judge. The trial was later adjourned.
(*Precisely what we've been thinking)
thesun.co.uk
Why don't you execute us*
By TOM NEWTON DUNN in Iraq
SADDAM Hussein’s trial descended into chaos yesterday as one of his cronies asked: “Why don’t you just execute us now?”
The mad scenes, which included a walkout by the defence team, came as the first witness described life inside Saddam’s torture chambers.
The man, a resident of a town the former dictator persecuted, said he saw a human meat grinder in one cell.
Ahmed Hassan Muhammed, 38, glimpsed the horrific device as he was led into the notorious Abu Ghraib jail.
He said: “I swear by God, I walked by a room and saw a grinder with blood coming out of it and human hair underneath. What is that machine?, I asked. But I was told never to talk about it.”
Ahmed was only a teenager when he was rounded up with hundreds of other residents of the town of Dujail, 35 miles north of Baghdad, in 1982.
Saddam and seven aides are alleged to have slaughtered 148 inhabitants in revenge for a failed assassination attempt.
Ahmed, who spent four years in jail, wept as he told how his older brother was beaten and given electric shocks to force a confession from their dad.
He said other victims were shot in the feet or had all their limbs broken. Secret police tortured a pregnant woman until her child was stillborn and another baby was hurled off a prison balcony.
Ahmed added: “I would need more than ten days to tell you how people I knew were tortured. I want the world to know.”
His evidence was continually interrupted by jeers from the accused, with Saddam laughing uproariously in his face.
Earlier the defendants had refused to recognise the court, with Saddam shouting: “How can it be legitimate when it was appointed by the Americans?”
His co-accused half-brother Barzan Ibrahim yelled: “Long live Iraq, long live the Arab state! Why don’t you just execute us now and be done with it?”
Defence lawyers led by former US Attorney General Ramsay Clark walked out at one point after they were not allowed to speak about security issues.
They returned after assurances from the judge. The trial was later adjourned.
(*Precisely what we've been thinking)
thesun.co.uk