Second day of Saddam trial

Saddam Hussein's genocide trial resumed on Tuesday with the ousted leader and his six co-defendants present in a court, situated in Saddam's former palace complex in Baghdad.

Saddam appeared in court with his cousin, Ali Hassan Al Majeed, known as "Chemical Ali", and five former commanders face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for their role in the 1988 Anfal campaign (or Spoils of War) that prosecutors said left 182,000 ethnic Kurds dead or missing.

A Kurdish villager testified on Monday that he fled an attack by Saddam Hussein's forces 18 years ago, leaving behind his mother and two sisters. When he returned he was told that their identity cards were discovered in a mass grave.

"Congratulations! You are in a cage, Saddam," witness Ghafour Hassan Abdullah said to the ex-president.

Saddam did not reply to Abdullah but lashed out when a lawyer described Kurdish guerillas as "freedom fighters."

"You are agents of Iran and Zionism. We will crush your heads," Saddam shouted.

Saddam's defense argues that the attacks were legitimate military strikes because Iraqi Kurds were fighting alongside Shi'ite Iran during the Iraq-Iran war.

All seven co-defendents face the death penalty.