Bombs killed at least 30 people in Baghdad and wrecked the tomb of Saddam Hussein's father today as the ousted leader was in court for the first time in two weeks.
Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein listens to one of the prosecutors as his trial resumed in Baghdad
Saddam's two lead defence counsels walked out within minutes of the trial restarting after the two-week pause, however, when requests for a further adjournment and the removal of the chief judge were rejected.
Officials said court-appointed lawyers would defend Saddam, as they had done since a previous walkout a month ago.
A subdued Saddam, who ended a hunger strike before the resumption, said little during the three-hour hearing, the latest in a four-month trial that has been troubled by charges of political bias and killings of two defence lawyers.
Twenty-three people were killed when a bomb left at a petrol station in eastern Baghdad blasted people lining up for fuel, police said. At least seven were killed in two other explosions, including an apparent car bomb in a busy street across the Tigris river from the trial in one of Saddam's former palaces.
Overnight curfews remain in force across Iraq.
Washington hopes for stability to let it start bringing home 136,000 US troops now caught in the middle of the conflict. It has been pressing Shias to accept Sunnis in government since the Sunnis took part in US-backed elections in December.
