Trial of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and his seven aides resumed in a Baghdad court on Sunday, a brief session marred by a walkout by Saddam and his defense team in protest against the court proceedings.

Raouf Abdul Rahman, the newly-appointed Kurdish chief judge whose performance was in the spotlight, announced a fresh adjournment of the trial until Wednesday.

Confrontation between Saddam, his codefendants and Rahman showed up shortly after the trial resumed.

Rahman threw Saddam's half brother and former intelligence chief Barzan al-Tikriti out of the courtroom after Tikriti argued with him and refused to keep quiet.

"This court is illegitimate and I call it a daughter of whore," Tikriti shouted before being dragged out.

Rahman also shouted at one of Saddam's defense lawyers Salih al- Armouti when he made a legal point during Rahman's opening remarks.

"Sit down and I will later give you the opportunity to speak. Do not interrupt the court," Rahman said.

Saddam's chief defense lawyer Khalil al-Dulaimi then protested against Rahman's decision to dispel Tikriti, slamming the trial as " not fair."

In a move seen as aimed to enforce his authority in his court debut following the resignation of his predecessor Rizkar Mohammed Amin, Rahman told the defense team that the court "is not a place for political speeches."

Rahman then ordered one defense lawyer to be removed from the court, prompting a collective withdrawal by the defense team.

"If you leave the court, you won't come back for future sessions," Rahman warned.

The chief judge then appointed four new attorneys for the defendants, which was rejected by Saddam.

"This is my right to reject an attorney," Saddam said. "This is my right. Don't force me."

"I am not forcing you," Rahman replied and demanded Saddam to obey orders of the court.

"I am the judge, you are the defendant, you have to obey me," he said.

But the toppled Saddam retorted, "You are an Iraqi, you cannot order me like that. I led you for 35 years."

He then walked out of the courtroom in protest, followed by his two co-defendants, former vice president Taha Yassin Ramadan and former chief judge Awad Hamed al-Bander.

Despite the walkout, the court went on hearing three witnesses including a woman testifying from behind a curtain against Saddam and his aides.

Saddam and his seven top aides are facing charges of crimes against humanity including the killing of more than 140 Shiites in the northern Iraqi town of Dujail following a failed 1982 assassination attempt on Saddam.

Former chief judge on the five-member panel that oversees the trial, Rizgar Muhammed Amin, also a Kurd, resigned earlier this month amid mounting criticism, mainly from Shiite politicians, for being lenient with Saddam and his co-defendants.

Rahman came from the town of Halabja, where 5,000 people were believed killed in a gas attack ordered by Saddam's authorities in 1988, a charge that Saddam might face in the future.

Sunday's session was the eighth in the high-profile trial, which has been marred by the killings of two defense lawyers, resignation of the chief judge and successive postponements.

If convicted, Saddam and his aides might face the death penalty.

Source: Xinhua