Defence lawyers for Saddam Hussein said that the first...

Defence lawyers for Saddam Hussein said that the first court appearance of the ousted president was a farce in an illegal court and challenged the legitimacy of Iraq's judicial system which they said was preventing them from going to Baghdad. Jordanian lawyers Mohammed Rashdan and Ziad Khassawneh told AFP that the televised court appearance in Baghdad by the former dictator was shameful. "The court proceedings were a farce and theatrics," said Rashdan who headed the 20-member Amman-based team which was appointed by Saddam's wife and three daughters to represent him. "The judges were appointed illegally by (Paul) Bremer," he said in reference to the former US administrator who ruled Iraq from the end of the 2003 war until he transferred sovereignty to an Iraqi interim government. "They were supposed to get, at the very least, the approval of the Iraqi people," he said, reiterating that Iraq's government was illegitimate since it was not elected by the people. Rashdan, who said the lawyers had been threatened by Iraqi officials, said the defence team had asked "several countries, including France, to grant us international protection to go to Iraq to defend President Saddam". "We are waiting for replies," he said.
The lawyers said they could not go to Baghdad to represent their client without clearance from the Iraqi Bar Association which had not been forthcoming. The Iraqi authorities "are afraid of the defence team and that is why they are placing obstacles along our path," he added.