Saddam: the 'stubborn one' who led his nation to war and poverty

0 Comments | AFP, October, 2005

BAGHDAD (AFP) — Saddam Hussein, who went on trial in an Iraqi tribunal, invaded two of his neighbors, is accused of murdering thousands of his citizens and ultimately impoverished his oil-rich nation.

Rights groups have amply documented the ruthlessness and cruelty of Saddam, who pleaded not guilty to charges of crimes against humanity over a Shiite civilian massacre in 1982.

Saddam, whose name in Arabic means "the stubborn one" or "he who confronts", cut a defiant figure in court, refusing to state his name to the judge and casting doubt on the legitimacy of the whole enterprise.

Future court cases will revolve around his government's links to the killing of tens of thousands of Kurds and savagely crushing a Shiite uprising in 1991.

Under Saddam's...