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You were not a dictator, judge tells Saddam

Baghdad: The chief judge in Saddam Hussein's genocide trial said on Thursday he did not believe the former Iraqi leader was a dictator.

Judge Abdullah al-Amiri made his remark in a friendly chat with Mr. Hussein during court proceedings, a day after the prosecution said the judge should step down because he was biased toward the defence.

Mr. Hussein and his co-defendants are being tried on charges of committing atrocities against Kurds in northern Iraq nearly two decades ago.

Session postponed

Two hours after the comment, Mr. Amiri abruptly postponed the session until Monday for what he called "technical reasons,'' without having heard from a third scheduled witness. No further explanation was given. Earlier today, a 57-year-old Kurdish farmer testified that the ex-President told him to ``shut up'' when he pleaded for the release of nine missing relatives.

``I wonder why this man [the witness] wanted to meet with me, if I am a dictator?'' Mr. Hussein asked.

The judge interrupted: ``You were not a dictator. People around you made you [look like] a dictator.'' ``Thank you,'' Mr. Hussein responded, bowing his head in respect. A Shia Muslim with 25 years experience, Mr. Amiri was a member of Mr. Hussein's Ba'ath party and served as a judge in a criminal court under the former leader's regime.

3 U.S. soldiers killed

Two U.S. soldiers died on Thursday in and around Baghdad, and another was reported killed in Mosul, the U.S. Command said. The names of the soldiers were being withheld pending notification of next of kin. — AP

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