LONDON – Saddam Hussein’s chaotic trial resumed yesterday with the former dictator accusing Iraq’s new rulers of killing and torturing thousands of people.

He was the only one of the eight defendants in the courtroom as one of the defense lawyers was thrown out for holding up pictures of Iraqis being abused by an American soldier at Abu Ghraib prison.

While prosecutors showed footage of him vowing to “cut off the heads” of his political enemies, the judge repeatedly had to stop him making “political” speeches or trying to recite Arabic poetry.

The courtroom clashes came a day after prosecutors indicted Saddam on fresh charges of genocide, accusing him of trying to exterminate Kurds in the “Anfal” campaign of the 1980s that killed an estimated 100,000 people. These charges will be dealt with in a separate trial.

Saddam, who faces the death penalty, admitted yesterday in the first day of cross-examination that he had approved the death sentences against 148 Shiites from the village of Dujail in 1982, saying he had been satisfied there was evidence that they had been involved in a failed attempt to kill him.

His lawyers said he had acted constitutionally.

Asked whether he knew that 28 of those executed had been under 18, Saddam replied: “I would never kill an Iraqi child.”

He refused to authenticate his signature on documents related to the case and suggested identity papers of victims submitted in evidence had been forged.

“An international, neutral body should do the match [of handwriting], and not a party that is helping to kill thousands of people after torturing them, like the ministry of interior,” he said, referring to allegations that elements of the new government are running death squads.

Saddam told Judge Rauf Abdel Rahman: “Your title and post are illegal and illegitimate. How can you judge the president of Iraq, who stood as a spear against all those who plotted against Iraq, those who tried to hurt the nation and its heroes?”

Saddam said the court was run by the Americans. Pointing to the door, he told the judge: “If you open the door, there’s an American behind it.

“The whole place is guarded by tanks. Can’t you see the tanks behind the national command headquarters of the Baath Party? If you haven’t seen it, look at it. You’re guarded…”

Judge Abdel Rahman interjected: “I’m guarded by God.”

Prosecutors showed footage of a young, suited Saddam speaking in chilling terms about “enemies of the revolution.”

“Anyone who’s against the revolution, if there were one or two or three or 4,000 of them, I’d cut off their heads,” he said.

“My heart wouldn’t hesitate. People like that won’t get any sympathy from me. If an ant died, I would feel sorry for it. But if people are traitors, I’ll kill them no matter who they are.”

The video, which is not related to events in Dujail, appeared to be taken from an anti-Saddam film in which scenes of Saddam were spliced with shots of people being beaten.

Saddam disputed the prosecution’s claim that the video came from the 1980s, saying “this was from youth, it’s not now.”

He added: “Everyone knows that from 1980 to 1988, I didn’t take off my military uniform.”

Bushra Khalil, a defense lawyer, was ordered out of the courtroom after she tried to intervene. “I want to show you what Americans do to prisoners,” she shouted and held up pictures of naked prisoners being abused at Abu Ghraib.

“What have you done about the Americans?” she shouted at the judge before she was escorted out.

The trial continues.