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Hussein: I am on hunger strike
RELATEDSPECIAL REPORT
• Gallery: Hussein's last moments
• Timeline: Downfall of Hussein
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTSBAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Saddam Hussein returned to trial on Tuesday saying he and seven co-defendants had been staging a hunger strike to protest their treatment by the court. "We have been on a hunger strike for three days in protest against the treatment from you and your masters," he said, a reference to the U.S. occupation of Iraq. As he did on Monday, Barzan Hassan, Hussein's half-brother and former chief of intelligence, defiantly pointed his finger and shouted at the chief judge. Hussein seemed amused by the commotion, grinning from time to time and then joining Hassan in disrupting the court and trying to undermine Chief Judge Raouf Rasheed Abdel-Rahman. "Your government was appointed by Bremer," Hussein said, a reference to the former U.S. administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer. Trying to restore order, Abdel-Rahman banged his gavel. "Take that hammer and knock it on your own head," Hussein shot back. Wearing a black suit, Hussein shouted his support for Iraqi insurgents, yelling "Long live the mujahedeen," the Associated Press reported, while Hassan entered wearing long underwear for the second day to signal his rejection of the court. The outbursts soon gave way to three witnesses who testified about arrests and torture in Dujail in 1982, when the Hussein regime undertook a crackdown after people tried to assassinate him. Many townspeople were jailed and mistreated, and more than 140 Shiite males were killed. Testifying behind a screen to hide his identity, a former intelligence officer said Hassan was in charge of the investigation. Also testifying Tuesday was Fadhel Sulfig Mohammed, a former senior Iraqi intelligence officer, and Hamid Yousef Hamadi, a former culture minister. The trial adjourned until February 28. The trial has often been punctuated with verbal outbursts and legal wrangling that have seen Hussein's legal team boycott the case and call the proceedings illegal and biased. Tuesday's histrionics followed a stormy session Monday in which the toppled Iraqi leader created a scene by shouting "Down with Bush!" In that session Hussein also yelled "Long live Iraq" and "Long live the Iraqi people." The former Iraqi president cursed the judge and called him a criminal. A haggard-looking Hussein said then he was brought to court against his will. He didn't wear his customary suit but instead was dressed in blue galabeya -- a traditional Arab robe -- and dark blue overcoat. (Watch Hussein throw a courtroom tantrum -- 13:07) At least one of the defendants briefly scuffled Monday with the guards who brought the unwilling men into court. Defense lawyers had told news agencies Monday that Hussein and his co-defendants planned to continue their boycott of the proceedings as long as Abdel-Rahman remained the chief judge. Abdel-Rahman, who took over last month after his predecessor stepped down, has tried to clamp down on courtroom disruptions. (Full story) Defense attorneys claim that Abdel-Rahman is unfit to try the case because he was sentenced to life in absentia in the 1970s for anti-state activity, according to AP. CNN's Aneesh Raman contributed to this report. Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. 
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