[JURIST] Saddam Hussein chief defense counsel Khalil Dulaimi [JURIST news archive] and an associate told reporters Sunday that Saddam and his seven co-defendants would begin a hunger strike Monday to protest the legitimacy of the proceedings against them but shortly thereafter retracted the statement, saying a strike was discussed but would not begin. Dulaimi told Reuters "We have now checked and it seems almost certain that the president no longer plans a hunger strike at least tomorrow as we thought earlier … though some of his colleagues may."

The trial [JURIST news archive] is set to resume Monday and while Saddam and some co-defendants have boycotted [JURIST report] the last two sessions in response to events at the January 29 hearing [JURIST report] presided over by new chief judge Ra'uf Rasheed Abdel-Rahman, an anonymous source from the Iraqi High Criminal Court [official website] said all defendants would be forced to attend Monday's proceedings. Reuters has more.