Iraqis are worried that Sunday's chaotic trial of Saddam Hussein might be the start of the collapse of the Iraqi High Tribunal, which prosecutes the former Iraqi president and his top aides.

That, if happens, could further result in transferring the prosecutions out of Iraq.

Sunday's brief session came after Rizgar Muhammed Amin, former Kurdish chief judge on the five-member panel overseeing the trial, resigned earlier this month amid mounting criticism, mainly from Shiite politicians, for his being too lenient with Saddam and his codefendants.

Raouf Abdul Rahman, the newly-appointed Kurdish chief judge, was tough with far less patience in dealing with the defendants.

Confrontation between Saddam, his codefendants and Rahman picked up heat shortly after the trial resumed on Sunday, when Rahman was delivering his opening speech, in which he ruled that political speeches are not allowed and would expel anybody who did not behave themselves in his domain.

Rahman, a 64-year-old Kurd from Halabja, where 5,000 people were believed killed in a gas attack ordered by the Saddam regime in 1988, was apparently under pressure to deal firmly with Saddam after the government criticized his predecessor.

His tough manner, however, raised fresh concerns with some seeing him as overacting.

Within about 15 minutes after Sunday's session started, 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.

Rahman then shouted at one of Saddam's defense lawyers Salih al- Armouti when he made a legal point during Rahman's opening remarks. He ordered Armouti 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, who stormed out of the court while condemning the judge for ordering him to be removed. Saddam insisted that he himself decided to leave the court.

Analysts say the outburst in Sunday's session raises concerns about the competence of Iraqi judges to run such sensitive prosecutions amid interference by politicians in legal process.

Khalil al-Dulaimi, head of Saddam's defense team, argued that a fair trial of Saddam was impossible unless the court was moved out of the troubled country.

Saddam's defense team also threatened to boycott future sessions unless the chief judge apologized for his harsh rule.

Previously, the court faced several challenges as two defense ream members were killed and some irregularities during the past sessions and lately the resignation of Rizgar Amin and the dismissal of judge Saeed al-Hammashi for alleged links to Saddam's Baath Party.

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.

Source: Xinhua