Saddam calls American denials of torture 'lies'

Manorama Online
Dec. 22, 2005

Baghdad: Saddam Hussein on Thursday again insisted at his trial that he had been beaten by his American captors calling Washington's denials of abuse lies. In the kind of theatrical exchange seen throughout the trial, an assistant prosecutor asked to resign and the defense team threatened to leave court.

The former Iraqi leader told the court that he'd been beaten "everywhere on my body. The marks are still there." He did not display any marks. US officials strongly denied the allegations, calling the claims "completely unfounded." Saddam today said American denials couldn't be believed, using as a rational the fact no weapons of mass destruction had been found in Iraq despite pre-war claims by US President George W Bush and other American officials that Saddam was harbouring such weapons.

"Zionists and Americans, I mean officials, hate Saddam Hussein. We don't lie, the White House lies. It said there are chemical weapons in Iraq," Saddam said. "It later said, 'We did not find anything in Iraq.'" Saddam claimed that the wounds he suffered from the alleged beatings had been documented by at least two American teams and that it took eight months for some of the wounds to heal. He didn't say where or when he was allegedly beaten. The former leader started talking about his claims during a time when he's allowed to cross examine witnesses.