Tuesday, February 14 2006 11:03 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Baghdad: Prosecutors tried to link Saddam Hussein directly to torture and executions, producing documents with his orders and handwriting and putting one of his closest confidants on the stand yesterday (Feb 13,2006) in a stormy session that Saddam and his co-defendants were forced to attend.

Saddam appeared in a traditional Arab robe instead of his usual crisp suit, arguing vehemently with the judge. His top co-defendant and half brother, Barzan Ibrahim _ dressed only in long underwear _ struggled with guards as he was pulled into the courtroom.

Ibrahim, the former chief of intelligence, then sat on the floor with his back to the judge in protest for much of the session.

The defendants have rejected court-appointed lawyers named to replace their own defense team who walked out of the trial last month and are demanding chief judge Rouf Abdel-Rahman's removal. In Jordan, Saddam's chief defence lawyer said there were no plans to end the boycott and denounced the court for forcing the former leader to attend.

"This is a cheap attitude," Khaled al-Dulaimi told sources.

After the raucous start, prosecutors made their strongest attempt yet to prove Saddam's role in a wave of arrests and executions that followed a 1982 attempt on Saddam's life in the Shiite village of Dujail.

Twenty-six prosecution witnesses have testified since the Saddam trial began Oct. 19, many providing accounts of torture and imprisonment in the crackdown, but they could not directly pin them on Saddam.