Meanwhile, there have been major developments in the ongoing trial of Saddam Hussein. In a move decried by international legal observers, the Iraqi government removed the presiding judge over comments he made in the courtroom. In an exchange with Hussein last week, the judge said the former Iraqi leader was not a dictator during his years of rule. Richard Dicker, a legal observer for Human Rights Watch said: “The transfer effectively sends a chilling message to all judges: toe the line or risk removal.” In court today, the new judge in the trial removed Hussein from the court after Hussein refused to end a defiant speech accusing the judge of being a US spy.