Saddam urges Iraqis to forgive each other

Two days after being sentenced to hang, a sombre and subdued Saddam Hussein today called on Iraqis to “forgive, reconcile and shake hands” as he returned to court for his Kurdish genocide trial.

The startling call came after Saddam rose during the afternoon session to question the testimon of the witnesses, who told of a mass killing of Iraqi Kurds in the 1987-88 Operation Anfal crackdown on Kurdish guerrillas.