TARIQ AZIZ, ONCE A CLOSE MEMBER OF SADDAM HUSSEIN'S INNER CIRCLE, TESTIFIED AS A DEFENSE WITNESS IN THE TRIAL OF THE FORMER IRAQI LEADER WEDNESDAY, SAYING THE REGIME HAD TO STRIKE BACK WITH A CRACKDOWN ON A SHIITE TOWN AFTER A 1982 ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON SADDAM. THE 70-YEAR-OLD AZIZ, A FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER AND DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, SAT ON THE STAND WEARING CHECKERED PYJAMAS AND LOOKED PALE. AZIZ, WHO IS IN U.S. CUSTODY, HAS COMPLAINED OF HEALTH PROBLEMS AND HIS FAMILY HAS BEEN PRESSING FOR HIM TO BE LET OUT TEMPORARILY FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT. CHIEF JUDGE RAOUF ABDEL-RAHMAN OPENED THE SESSION WITH A SHARP WARNING TO THE DEFENSE LAWYERS AND THE EIGHT DEFENDANTS THAT HE WOULD NOT ALLOW INSULTS TO THE COURT. IN THE PREVIOUS SESSION, ABDEL-RAHMAN THREW OUT A WOMAN DEFENSE LAWYER WHEN SHE TRIED TO SPEAK AFTER HE WARNED HER NOT TO. "FROM THE BEGINNING, WE HAVE SAID THAT THIS COURT IS A TRANSPARANT ONE AND THE DEFENSE TEAM AND DEFENDANTS ARE ALLOWED TO EXPRESS THEIR ATTIUDE IN A DEMOCRATIC WAY. NO ONE IS ALLOWED, WHO WHOEVER HE IS AND UNDER ANY NAME, TO ATTACK THE COURT, ITS EMPLOYEES AND IRAQI PEOPLE.» HE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.
