(29 Jan 2006)
1. Mid shot of the new chief judge, Raouf Abdel-Rahman
2. Mid shot of Saddam Hussein
3. Mid shot of deputy judges
4. Mid shot of Raouf Abdel-Rahman
5. Mid shot of Iraqi defence lawyer Khalil Al-Dulaimi
6. Wide of defendants
7. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Saddam Hussein, co-defendant and former Iraqi President (pointing his finger at the court-appointed lawyers)
"We reject you, and if you stay, you are evil (turns his head towards the judge). This is my right. You cannot force me, this is my right. (judge interrupts:" We don't force you but we do not allow you to be abusive towards this place."). Please, so that I do not annoy you and you do not annoy me, you are an Iraqi and I shall continue to respect you as an Iraqi, unless you abandon your Iraqiness. (judge interrupts: "It should be like this and God willing, my Iraqiness is well founded.) "That's why you have to excuse me because I cannot bear staying, at least during this session, until things are sorted out in a dignified way."
8. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Raouf Abdel-Rahman, new chief judge:
"The court has decided to remove him out of the courthouse. Sit down."
9. Cutaway of Saddam
10. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Raouf Abdel-Rahman, new chief judge:
" The court has taken the procedures to remove the accused and their (legal) representatives, who have broken the boundaries of courtesy and shown disrespect to the court."
11. Co-defendant (with white headscarf) (soundbite continues)
12. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Raouf Abdel-Rahman, new chief judge:
" Sit down or I shall remove you".
13. Co-defendant Awad Al-Bandar getting up. UPSOUND:" Yes, remove me."
14. Mid shot of judge
15. Co-defendant , Taha Yasin Ramadan arguing with judge (grey shirt)
16. Judge pointing finger
17. Wide shot of court
Saddam Hussein's trial quickly fell into chaos after its resumption on Sunday, as one co-defendant was dragged out of the courtroom.
A defence lawyer was then ejected, and finally the former Iraqi leader himself was removed after demanding to leave.
The new chief judge in the trial, Raouf Abdel-Rahman, had sought to show a tough control over the court, but the session - the first in a month - began to fall apart quickly.
Abdel-Rahman barked at a defence lawyer who tried to interrupt him to make a legal point during in the judge's opening statement.
The proceedings resumed with only four of the eight defendants present, and none of their original lawyers.
The court began hearing an anonymous female prosecution witness, who testified from behind a light blue curtain, as several earlier witnesses have done to protect them from reprisals.
The chaos began within 15 minutes of the session's start, Saddam's co-defendant Barzan Ibrahim stood and asked to address the court.
Abdel-Rahman, who had already shouted at one defence lawyer for interrupting, told him to be polite. Ibrahim called the court "the daughter of a whore."
At this point, the delayed television feed showing the proceedings was cut off. The video, which is control of the judges, resumed some time later, cutting out the removal of Ibrahim and the subsequent fight with the lawyers but showing the judge's arguments with Saddam.
After Ibrahim's outburst, the judge ordered him to sit down. When Ibrahim refused, two burly guards grabbed him by the arms and after some pushing and shoving, dragged him out of the court.
Two guards pushed Saddam by his shoulders back into his chair, but then the judge ordered them to lead him out of the room, this was not screened on the delayed television feed.
Find out more about AP Archive: www.aparchive.c...
Twitter: / ap_archive
Facebook: / aparchives ​​
Instagram: / apnews
You can license this story through AP Archive: www.aparchive.c...