Saddam faces seven charges

2004-07-01 15:22

Baghdad - Fox News has reported that Saddam Hussein, as defiant as ever, appeared in an Iraqi court on Thursday but rejected seven war crimes and genocide charges against him.

"I am Saddam Hussein, the president of Iraq," Saddam said, according to a pool report from inside the proceeding.

The former dictator's hands were cuffed when he was brought to the court but the shackles were removed for the 30-minute long arraignment that was held at Camp Victory, a former Saddam palace on the outskirts of Baghdad.

Fox says A judge read the charges against Hussein and 11 of his top lieutenants.

The seven broad charges against Saddam are the killing of religious figures in 1974; gassing of Kurds in Halabja in 1988; killing the Kurdish Barzani clan in 1983; killing members of political parties in the last 30 years; the 1986-88 "Anfal" campaign of displacing Kurds; the suppression of the 1991 uprisings by Kurds and Shiites; and the 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

"I cannot believe you, an Iraqi, are charging me with this when you know Kuwait is part of Iraq," Saddam told the judge, later adding, "I did all of these things as president, so don't strip me of that title."

- News24