A quieter Saddam Hussein sat in his defendant’s chair at the resumption of his trial in Baghdad today, two weeks after he refused to attend the last session in a court he called “unjust”.

The trial of Saddam Hussein resumed this morning after a two-week break, and the former leader – who had refused to attend the last session – was in court.

Saddam Hussein was expected to show up when his Baghdad trial reconvenes today, two weeks after he boycotted the last session and vowed not to appear before an “unjust” court.

THE trial of Saddam Hussein and seven co-defendants was adjourned yesterday until December 21 after a truncated session which the ousted president refused to attend.

A woman whose identity will be kept secret was to be a witness in the trial of Saddam Hussein as the fourth session of the trial resumed today in Baghdad’s heavily guarded Green Zone.

SADDAM Hussein warned the judge in his trial yesterday that he could be held accountable for his actions during the proceedings.

Saddam Hussein warned the judge in his trial today that he could be held accountable for his actions during the proceedings.

Saddam Hussein’s defence team walked out of the court in Baghdad today after the chief trial judge refused to allow former Attorney General Ramsey Clark to challenge the tribunal’s legitimacy in an address to the session.

Saddam Hussein’s lawyer blamed US-led “occupation forces” today for the killing of a second colleague in the trial and urged Arab leaders to “shoulder their responsibility” to combat disorder here that threatens the proceeding.

Three gunmen in a speeding car killed a defence lawyer in the Saddam Hussein trial and wounded another today in Western Baghdad.

A DEFIANT Saddam Hussein pleaded innocent to charges of murder and torture when his long-awaited trial began yesterday with the one-time dictator arguing about the legitimacy of the court and scuffling with guards.

Saddam Hussein today declared himself not guilty of alleged crimes against fellow Iraqis, turning immediately argumentative and challenging the legitimacy of the court as he appeared before a five-judge tribunal in the former headquarters of his Baath Party two years after his capture.

Ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein will face charges of premeditated murder, torture and forced expulsion and disappearances when he goes on trial on Wednesday for a 1982 massacre of Shiites.

Ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein will face charges of premeditated murder, torture and forced expulsion and disappearances when he goes on trial next week for a 1982 massacre of Shiites, a court official said today.

LAWYERS for former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein complained yesterday that plans to start his trial next month gave him too little time to prepare his defence.

Plans to hold former Iraq president Saddam Hussein’s trial next month gives too little time to his defence team to prepare his case, a family lawyer complained today.

The Iraqi government announced today that the trial of Saddam Hussein will begin on October 19.

Iraqi authorities have set October 19 as the date for the start of the trial of Saddam Hussein, an official said. A Western diplomat discounted the report as ”posturing".

An Iraqi court has decided to begin the first trial of Saddam Hussein on October 19 and is in the process of notifying his legal team, a legal official said today.

THE first criminal case has been filed against Saddam Hussein.

Saddam Hussein and three others will stand trial in the 1982 massacre of Shiite villagers north of Baghdad, a senior judge announced today.