145;Where is the crime?146;

Saddam Hussein formally took the stand in his trial for the first time on Wednesday after earlier acknowledging in court that he gave orders which led to the killing of 148 Shi8217;ite men in the 1980s. He called the court a 8220;comedy against Saddam Hussein and his comrades.8221; The former Iraqi leader and seven co-accused, including former top aides, are charged with the killing of 148 people from the mostly Shi8217;ite Muslim town of Dujail after a bid to assassinate him there in 1982. During his last appearance on March 1, Saddam said he had ordered the 148 to be tried but justified the sentences as entirely legal, saying: 8220;Where is the crime?8221;.

He also acknowledged razing farmland around Dujail owned by those alleged to have carried out the attack on him. Prosecutors hope the Dujail case will prove more clear-cut than other, more complex cases involving charges of genocide where Saddam8217;s responsibility may be more difficult to prove. Saddam condemns the court as a creation of US military occupation and his outbursts frequently dominated earlier sessions. He also boycotted several hearings and staged a 11-day hunger strike.