Man attacks Saddam in court -defense team

AMMAN, July 30 (Reuters) – Former Iraqi President Saddam
Hussein was attacked by an unidentified man during his
appearance at a court hearing in Baghdad on Thursday, his
defense team said on Saturday.

The team, which has an office in the Jordanian capital
Amman, said in a statement that the man attacked Saddam and the
two exchanged blows during a hearing attended by defense lawyer
Khalil Dulaimi.

“As the president stood to leave the courtroom one of those
present attacked him and there was an exchange of blows between
the man and the president,” the statement said.

The head of the tribunal did nothing to stop the assault,
the statement alleged.

It did not say if Saddam was hurt.

The Iraqi Special Tribunal trying Saddam on Friday released
photographs of the toppled leader being questioned on the
suppression of Kurdish and Shi’ite uprisings in 1991.

The photographs were taken during a hearing in Baghdad on
Thursday, the tribunal said.

Saddam has been formally charged with the killings of
Shi’ite Muslims in the village of Dujail in 1982 but no date
has been set for his trial.