Saddam Trial Will Resume Today With Temporary Presiding Judge
Jan. 24 (Bloomberg) -- The Baghdad tribunal trying Saddam Hussein and seven of his former aides for a 1982 massacre resumes today with Rauf Rashid Abdel Rahman to fill in for the presiding judge.

Rahman will temporarily replace Rizkar Mohammed Amin, who offered to quit his post earlier this month amid criticism that he was too soft on the eight defendants and unable to control their courtroom outbursts, President Jalal Talabani's political party said on its Arabic-language Web site yesterday.

If Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, his two deputies and the Presidency Council led by Talabani approve Amin's resignation, the five-judge panel hearing the case will select a permanent replacement. It wasn't clear when a decision would be reached, or if Rahman is in contention for the position.

Hussein and his co-defendants deny charges of killing 148 people in Dujail in 1982. They face the death penalty if found guilty. The court has already heard from witnesses to the murders. Former members of Hussein's government may be among those who are called to testify in the next two weeks, the New York Times reported, citing an unidentified U.S. official.

Proceedings have been dogged by courtroom disruptions and delays since opening on Oct. 19. Defendants have argued with witnesses and questioned the jurisdiction of the court.

Refusing to Attend

On one occasion, Hussein refused to show up after complaining that he hadn't been allowed to change clothes for three days, and on another he told Amin ``to go to hell.''

Amin's supporters say he sought to give the defendants as much leeway as possible to ensure the process is seen as fair.

Last week, Chief Investigating Judge Read Juhi said the No. 2 on the panel, Said al-Hameesh, would be promoted to presiding judge.

That idea may have been dropped following allegations that al-Hameesh was a senior member of Hussein's Baath party, a charge he denies.

Rahman was born in Halabja, the Kurdish town that lost at least 5,000 residents in 1988 when it was gassed by Hussein's forces, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan said.



To contact the reporter for this story:
Caroline Alexander in London at calexander1@bloomberg.net;
Aaron Sheldrick in Tokyo at asheldrick@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: January 23, 2006 21:51 EST