Saddam Hussein Alleges He Was Beaten

Saddam Hussein has accused US troops of beating and torturing him whilst he was in jail.

Saddam, whilst speaking at his trial yesterday, claimed that evidence of torture could be seen all over his body.

The prosecution pooh poohed the claims, saying that Saddam was relatively comfortable as his room was comfortable and air-conditioned room. They noted that many people in Baghdad have an unreliable electricity supply, which makes air conditioning the stuff of dreams.

Saddam made his claim after several hours of testimony, which included witnesses who claimed that Saddam's agents had tortured people by ripping off their skin.

One of the witnesses was al-Haidari, who stated that seven of his brothers were executed by Saddam's soldiers and that their bodies have never been found.

He told the court that he, and other residents of his village, were taken to Baghdad and thrown into a prison where people were given electric shocks and regular beatings.

Saddam then took it upon himself to speak, and claimed that he had been tortured and beaten on every part of his body, and that his seven co-defendants had also been beaten.

Quote:

"I would say yes, we were beaten up. We were beaten up by Americans and we were tortured.

Every one of us.

This man when he gets up he has to hold the railing because he was beaten up badly. He was beaten badly with rifle butts on his back".

The Chief Prosecutor, Jaafar al-Mousawi, said that he would investigate the claims; stating that if they were true, Saddam would be transferred to the custody of Iraqi troops.

Christopher Reid of the US embassy in Baghdad said that the claims were bogus.

Quote:

"We heard Barzon al-Tikriti complaining about his treatment and saying the cigarettes I'm getting are terrible and I only get six a day, that kind of a complaint. So nowhere then was anything mentioned about being beaten or whatever.

So I think these are bogus claims, they're designed to ambush the court, and they're designed to really play on or play against some of the testimony that we've had in the case so far".

Sean McCormack, State Department spokesman, said:

"I know of nothing that would substantiate such a claim. He's given to grandstanding in this trial. But where the focus should be is on the testimony of those people who were victimised".