Deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has questioned the validity of witness testimony in his trial on charges of human rights abuses under his regime.
Today's-Thursday's first prosecution witness told the court he was eight years old when he witnessed his grandmother being tortured and his father executed in the village of Dujail in 1982.
Saddam questioned the validity of the witness' testimony, saying he was too young at the time of the alleged incidents to remember clearly what took place.
The defense also said witnesses were being unfairly influenced by watching the testimony of others.
Saddam repeated a claim that he had been tortured by his American captors. He said White House denials were lies.
Saddam and his seven co-defendants are accused of ordering or carrying out the torture and massacre in 1982 of more than 140 Shi'ite Muslims in Dujail after Saddam survived an assassination attempt there.
Information for this report is provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
