BAGHDAD, IRAQ – Saddam Hussein sat stone-faced and silent as a woman accused his agents of beatings, torture, and sexual humiliation. But after hours of testimony and another two witnesses, the caged defendant who once dominated Iraq finally exploded in anger.

Waving a finger and pounding his desk, Saddam told the judges to “go to hell” and vowed not to return to court Wednesday.

Dressed again in a dark suit and white shirt and clutching a Koran, Saddam complained that he and the seven other defendants were tired and had been deprived of opportunities to shower, have a change of clothes, exercise or go for a smoke.

“This is terrorism,” he declared.

Throughout the trial, which began October 19, Saddam has repeatedly staged confrontations with the court and attempted to take control of the proceedings with dramatic rhetorical flourishes.

Saddam and the others are charged in the deaths of more than 140 Shiite Muslims in retaliation for an assassination attempt against him in the town of Dujail in 1982. Saddam accused Iran of ordering the attempt on his life.

Five witnesses – two women and three men – testified yesterday in the fourth session of the trial, all of them hidden from the public view and with their voices disguised to protect their identities.

The most compelling testimony came from the woman identified only as “Witness A,” who was a 16-year-old girl at the time of the crackdown. Her voice breaking with emotion, she told the court of beatings and electric shocks by the former president’s agents. By the end of the day, Saddam was back to his combative style.

“I will not return,” he shouted after the court decided to convene again Wednesday. “I will not come to an unjust court! Go to hell!”

Under Iraqi law, a court can force a defendant to attend a trial if he is not willing, Iraqi lawyer Bassem al-Khalili said. But it was unclear whether the court would force the issue of Saddam’s attendance. The court has shown considerable deference to the former president, tolerating frequent outbursts in violation of local rules of procedure.

On the same day in Iraq, two suicide bombers struck Baghdad’s police academy Tuesday, killing at least 43 people and wounding 73 more, American officials said, while Al-Jazeera broadcast an insurgent video claiming to have kidnapped an American security consultant.

The suicide attackers were wearing explosives-laden vests and an American contractor was among those wounded, an American military statement said.