Saddam prefers death by shooting

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LONDON -- Saddam Hussein has told his lawyers that he wants to be shot by firing squad, not hanged, if sentenced to death during his murder trial, which resumes later this month in Baghdad.

Saddam maintains that he is still commander in chief of Iraq's armed forces -- and that a firing squad is "the right way" to execute a military leader.

"I'm not afraid of death," he told two of his lawyers in an astonishingly candid five-hour meeting, as he sat in a comfortable chair at the head of the table.

"Of course I'm not guilty, but I know they want me dead."

One of his lawyers, Issam Ghazzawi, took extensive notes. During a recent interview in Amman, Jordan, he gave The Washington Times details of the extraordinary discussion.

He and former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark met with Saddam on Dec. 7 in a basement room under the heavily guarded courthouse in Baghdad.

No one else was present for this session, which took place during a break in proceedings while Saddam was refusing to return to the dock.

All five of Saddam's lawyers met with the deposed Iraqi leader in the same setting a week earlier for an hour during a lunch break.

Mr. Clark confirmed most of the details of the meetings in a telephone interview with The Times on his return to New York, although he said the part of the conversation regarding Saddam's stated preference for a firing squad had not been translated to him by Mr. Ghazzawi at the time.

The trial, which has been interrupted by several adjournments, a temporary walkout by Saddam and harangues from the accused, is to resume Jan. 24.