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Saddam was assaulted in court, says report

BAGHDAD: Two court employees attacked former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and punched him several times after he cursed two Shia Islam saints, state-run Iraqi television reported on Wednesday.

Iraqiya television, quoting ``sources close to investigative judges,'' did not say when the incident occurred. However, Mr. Hussein's lawyers said in July that their client was attacked during an interrogation session. The chief investigative judge of the special court dealing with Mr. Hussein denied the claims at the time.

However, Iraqi TV reported late on Wednesday that the incident occurred after Mr. Hussein was being questioned about his efforts to suppress the 1991 Shia uprising in southern Iraq, which broke out after U.S.-led forces drove Iraq's army from Kuwait.

The shrines of Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas in the Shia holy city of Karbala were damaged by Mr Hussein's forces as they crushed the uprising, killing tens of thousands of Shias.

``Saddam insulted Imam Hussein and his brother Imam Abbas, provoking two of the court's clerks who were taking notes. They attacked him and punched him several times,'' the report said. It did not elaborate.

In July, Mr. Hussein's defence team issued a statement in Jordan saying that a man burst out from people gathered in the courtroom and tried to hit Mr. Hussein as he was leaving the court at the end of a 45-minute hearing.

``There was an exchange of blows between the man and the President,'' the statement said, also claiming that the judge overseeing the hearing did nothing to stop the assault.

The claims could not be independently confirmed. — AP

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