Saddam absent from court

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The trial of Saddam Hussein and seven co-defendants was adjourned Wednesday until Dec. 21 after two witnesses testified in a truncated session that the ousted president did not attend.\nAfter two prosecution witnesses described beatings and torture by the regime, Chief Judge Rizgar Mohammed Amin adjourned the proceedings and said the court would reconvene six days after the Dec. 15 parliamentary elections.\nTuesday, Saddam had said he would not take part in what he called an "unjust" court.\nThe other defendants and Saddam's lawyers were present in the courtroom when Amin convened the session at 3 p.m., about four hours late. Amin said the court would inform Saddam about or brief him on the proceedings that took place during his absence.\nThe judge then told defense attorneys that the court would meet with them "after today's hearing to discuss the security of the lawyers," which became a major issue after two members were murdered.\nCourt official Raid Juhi told reporters after the session that Saddam attended a closed-door hearing that preceded the public session "and the court decided that he should be removed from the hearing on the basis of the law."\n"So Saddam did not boycott, but he was allowed to stay out of the hearing on the basis of a certain request," Juhi said without explaining what the request was. "He was present at the courtroom during the closed session. He presented something to the court and the court decided to excuse him."\nJuhi said Saddam would attend the Dec. 21 session.\n"The court is trying to balance the rights of the defense with the rights of victims," Juhi added.\nAt Wednesday's session, a witness testified behind a beige curtain to conceal his identity. The witness said he was arrested after the assassination attempt and taken to Baath Party headquarters, where he found people "screaming because of the beatings." The witness said Saddam's half-brother and co-defendant Barazan Ibrahim were present.\nUnder questioning by the judge, however, the witness said he was blindfolded at the time and thought it was Ibrahim speaking because other prisoners told him so.\nSaddam's threat not to attend the Wednesday session came at the end of a day-long session in which five witnesses related the events of a 1982 crackdown on Shiite Muslims. The most dramatic testimony came from a woman who spoke from behind a curtain with her voice disguised.\nShe told of beatings, torture and sexual humiliation at the hands of security agents when she was a teenager.