(5 Dec 2005)
1. Mid shot of court exterior
2. Wide shot of eight defendants, including Saddam Hussein (bottom right of screen)
3. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Saddam Hussein, Deposed Iraqi Leader:
"Why are you letting the employees of the court talk and not letting the defence lawyers defend us? Is this justice?"
4. Defence team leaving courtroom
5. Saddam seated
6. Pan of empty defence team desks
7. Mid shot of defendant standing as Saddam returns
8. Mid shot of judge
9. Wide shot of Saddam Hussein taking his seat in court
10. Mid shot of Saddam seated
11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Ramsey Clark, Former US Attorney General: (partly overlaid with shot of judge and defendants)
"This trial can either divide or heal and unless it is seen as absolutely fair and is absolutely fair in fact, it will irreconcilably divide the people of Iraq."
12. Mid shot of witness Ahmed Hassan Mohammed shouting and exchanging insults with defendant
13. Cutaway of Saddam
14. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Ahmed Hassan Mohammed, Witness:
"It was a terrifying moment and obviously there were mass arrests. Women and men. Even a baby, which was a few days old, came with his parents as if they were not Iraqis."
15. Cutaway of Saddam
16. Mid shot of witness breaking down in tears
17. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Saddam Hussein, Deposed Iraqi Leader: (partly overlaid with shot of the judge)
"I am not afraid of execution. You all know me, I am not going to talk about myself. Everyone knows me from 1959. I realise there is pressure on you."
18. Mid shot of judge speaking to Saddam
19. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Saddam Hussein, Deposed Iraqi Leader:
"I regret that I have to confront one of my sons. But I'm not doing it for myself. I'm doing it for Iraq. I'm not defending myself. But I am defending you."
20. Cutaway of Saddam with witness standing in background
21. Mid shot of Saddam holding up his hand to show written notes to the judge
STORYLINE:
During a chaotic court session in Baghdad on Monday, the former Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein told the judge that he did not fear the outcome of the trial.
"I am not afraid of execution," he said.
The outburst was one of several by Saddam and his co-defendants at the trial that also saw a brief walkout by his defence lawyers.
The former president's lawyers briefly walked out of court after the judge refused to allow statements by foreign lawyers including former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark.
This led Saddam Hussein to demand that the defence lawyers be allowed to speak.
"Why are you letting the employees of the court talk and not letting the defence lawyers defend us? Is this justice?" he said.
However, after a 90-minute recess, Chief Judge Rizgar Mohammed Amin allowed Clark and ex-Qatari Justice Minister Najib al-Nueimi to speak on the question of the safety of the lawyers.
"This trial can divide or heal. Unless it is seen as absolutely fair, and fair in fact, it will divide rather than reconcile Iraq," Clark then told the court, before being reminded by the judge that he was to speak only about the security guarantees for the defence lawyers, two of whom have been assassinated since the trial began on 19 October.
Saddam and seven co-defendants are accused of killing of more than 140 Shiites after an assassination attempt against the president in Dujail in 1982.
Following Clark's statement the first witness to take the stand was Ahmed Hassan Mohammed who gave testimony on Dujail.
He said that after the assassination attempt, Saddam's security agencies took people of all ages away, including a baby.
The tribunal will convene again on Tuesday.
Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: / ap_archive
Facebook: / aparchives
Instagram: / apnews
You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...