Saddam Hussein gestures during final arguments in his trial in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone July 26, 2006. -Xinhua/Reuters

Saddam Hussein, who was brought yesterday to court against his will, said he would prefer being executed by fire squad as a military man not by hang if convicted.

"As you are an Iraqi if you have to issue a death penalty you have to remember that Saddam is a military man and in this case your verdict should be death by shooting not by hanging," Saddam told Chief Judge Rau of Abdul Rahman.

Earlier, the former Iraqi president said that he was brought to the court against his will.

"I was brought here forcibly," Saddam told the chief judge at the start of the Wednesday session to hear his final arguments in the trial of Saddam and his seven co-defendants for the alleged Dujail massacre.

"I have submitted a petition according to the law, declaring that I refuse to attend the court," Saddam told the court, adding "the Americans insisted to bring me here against my will." Saddam was brought to the court from the hospital where he was receiving treatment due to a 17-day-long hunger strike. Saddam's defense team boycotted the trial in protest against injustice of the process and inadequate protection of defense lawyers' safety.

However, Abdul Rahman appointed a lawyer for Saddam due to the absence of his defense team.

Saddam rejected the appointment, saying "I refuse the lawyers that have been assigned to me, they will be considered enemies by the people."

Saddam and his lawyers demanded authorities provide adequate protection to the Iraqi lawyers and their families following the killing of Khamis al-Obeidi, the third defense lawyer to have been killed since Saddam's trial began in October last year. But Rahman rejected a petition submitted by chief of Saddam's defense team Khalil al-Dulaimi.

Saddam and his seven co-defendants were charged with crimes against humanity for the killing of 148 Shiite men in Dujail after Saddam survived an assassination attempt in 1982.