Ramsey Clark: Saddam is in good spirits

Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, who has joined Saddam Hussein's defence team, said on Tuesday he had had no time to discuss legal issues or trial strategy at his first meeting with the Iraqi ex-president.

When they met for the first time on Monday, the day &to=http://english.pravda.ru/world/20/91/366/16338_Saddam.html' target=_blank>Saddam's trial in Baghdad briefly resumed, Saddam said he was "overjoyed" to meet Clark and his companions, a former Qatari justice minister and a Jordanian lawyer, Clark said.

"He was in very good spirits.. He didn't want to talk about problems but was happy to have somebody to talk to. He said a little bit about the way he was treated," Clark said.

Clark, speaking on arrival in the Jordanian capital from Baghdad, said he expected to meet the toppled Iraqi leader again on Sunday to discuss defence strategy ahead of the next hearing on Dec. 5, following a one-week adjournment.

Saddam and seven fellow defendants are on trial in a fortified courtroom in Baghdad for crimes against humanity. All have pleaded not guilty, reports Reuters.