Has Hussein been beaten and tortured?

"I want to say here, yes, we have been beaten by the Americans and we have been tortured," Saddam told the court before gesturing toward his seven co-defendants, "one by one."
Source

I doubt it very much. Saddam Hussein is a nasty muhfuh, and he'll say anything, not to beat this rap, because he knows he can't, but for propaganda purposes (although it's too late for that; he is yesterday's bastard).

The other reason I doubt it is because even Bush's horrible administration wouldn't be that stupid. They have been torturing uncounted people all around the globe -- it's these muhfuhs' stock in trade -- but they are electroding and savaging only the powerless and unknown. I doubt they would expose themselves by torturing a celebrity because it would soon get out (I wish they would start with Schwarzenegger and Pat Robertson). Have his co-accused been beaten and tortured? That's much more likely under Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and the rest of their gung-ho pro-torture gang.

The other compelling bit of evidence, though by no means conclusive, is that Saddam Hussein neither provided any photos of injuries, nor stripped off to show the bruises and scars. Hussein is savvy enough to know that if he did some courtroom theatrics, he would get half the world on side, but he kept his shirt on.

No, he's just another political leader full of shit. Another one who deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison.

By the way, why do the US press always call him by his first name? They didn't do that with Adolph, Joseph or Henry.

Tagged: saddam+hussein, iraq, usa, torture