SULAIMANIYA, Iraq - After listening to prosecutor Munqith Al Faroon read a litany of charges against him that included ordering massacres, deportations and chemical attacks designed to annihilate the Kurds, Saddam Hussein shook his head and gently rebuked Mr. Al Faroon, telling him, "There you go again." Al Faroon, momentarily stunned, attempted to respond, but was stopped by Special U.N. Moderator and Chief Judge Roger al-Mudd. "I’m sorry, Mr. Al Faroon, but your time is up," he said.Hussein then launched into a rebuttal that touched upon childhood memories, his work in Hollywood, the blessings bestowed upon Iraq by the Almighty, and his vision for what Iraq can be when he finally gets the opportunity to kill all those who oppose him. He finished with the soaring rhetoric that epitomized his Presidency: "We can meet our destiny to build a land that will be, for all mankind -- except the aforementioned opponents -- a shining city on a hill."
Analysts believe the folksy, but firm response delivered by the man once known as The Great Exterminator will go a long way toward influencing swing voters on the jury. The trial began on a lighthearted note when the Judge asked the defendant to state his name and occupation. "I am Saddam Hussein, the President of the Republic of Iraq and commander in chief of the heroic Iraqi armed forces, and you’re not," said Mr. Hussein, eliciting raucous laughter from the spectator’s gallery. "That’s my tribute to Chevy Chase, your honor," he said. Later, when Al Faroon showed pictures of mass graves and described in chilling detail the effects of nerve gas on humans, Hussein began pantomiming a man playing a violin. The Judge ordered him to stop, and instructed the jury to "strike the image of the defendant playing a sad song from their minds," although he admitted "it was pretty damn funny."
