Saddam Hussein refused to enter a plea as he went on trial in Baghdad on charges of genocide this morning.
The chief judge, Abdullah Ali al-Aloosh, entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
It is the first time the former Iraqi President has faced charges of genocide.
He dismissed the US-sponsored tribunal in Baghdad as a 'court of occupation' and refused to state his name during proceedings.
The trial is focusing on the role he and six co-defendants played in what became known as the Anfal campaign against the Kurdish region of northern Iraq in the 1980s. It is estimated that 100,000 Kurds were killed and 3,000 villages destroyed.
Iraqi forces are accused of using mustard gas and nerve agents during the seven-month campaign.
The seven defendants, including Mr Hussein's former defence minister, face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for their role in Anfal.
Mr Hussein and his cousin, Ali Hassan al-Majid, face the additional, graver charge of genocide.
It is understood Mr Hussein and his co-defendants are claiming that the operation was justified because Kurdish rebels and their leaders had committed treason by forming alliances with arch-enemy Iran.
The 69-year-old former Iraqi leader faces the death penalty, but if convicted the scheduling of a dozen other trials could delay any execution for years.
Many Iraqis have voiced impatience with the slow legal process.
