Saddam Judge Enrages Kurds.

The chief judge in Saddam's genocide trial on Sept. 14 told the ousted leader "you were not a dictator", sparking Kurdish demands that he be replaced. The judge already had rejected prosecution demands that he step down for allegedly favouring the defense.

Judge Abdullah al-Amiri, a Shi'ite Arab, made the comment after Saddam challenged testimony by a Kurdish farmer who said the ousted president ordered him to "shut up" when he begged for the release of nine missing relatives. Saddam asked: "Why did he try to see Saddam Hussein if Saddam Hussein was a dictator and was against the Kurdish people?" The judge replied: "You are not a dictator. You were not a dictator. However, the people or the individuals and officials surrounding you created a dictator. It was not you in particular. It happens all over the world". Saddam responded: "Thank you", bowing his head in respect.

Saddam and six co-defendants are being tried on charges of committing atrocities against Kurds during the Operation Anfal assault in northern Iraq in 1988. The prosecution charges that 180,000 people died in the campaign, many of them killed by poison gas. Two hours after the comment about Saddam, Amiri abruptly recessed the session until Sept. 18 for what he called "technical reasons".

Amiri's comments are likely to stoke anger among Kurds who had already complained he was too lenient with Saddam. On Sept. 13, the judge rejected prosecution demands that he step aside after allowing Saddam to lash out at Kurdish witnesses the day before. Kurdish elder statesman Mahmoud Othman said: "The judge is weak and isn't doing his duty. We as Kurdish politicians ask for a change in judges, and he must be replaced".