Saddam ejected from court at genocide trial

BAGHDAD, Sep 26 (Reuters) Saddam Hussein was ejected from the courtroom at his genocide trial today for the third hearing in a row after arguing with the chief judge.

After Saddam repeatedly refused to be quiet, judge Mohammed al-Ureybi said: ''You are a defendant and I'm a judge.'' As other defendants began to protest, the judge said: ''Shut up, no-one talk ... the court decided to eject Saddam Hussein from court.'' Saddam was also thrown out of court yesterday and at the previous hearing last week for protesting against the sacking of Ureybi's predecessor, fired by the government for saying the former leader was ''not a dictator''.

Saddam and six others could face hanging over the deaths of an estimated 180,000 Kurdish villagers during a military campaign in 1988.

REUTERS PB RN1338