Saddam Hussein and some of his closest cronies, including Tariq Aziz and “Chemical Ali,” went before an Iraqi judge today, in the beginning of an historic trial: Saddam Faces Iraqi Judge in First Step to Trial.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein appeared before an Iraqi judge on Wednesday when Iraq’s new sovereign government took the first step toward putting him on trial — with a possible death penalty — for decades of killing and torture.

“Today at 10:15 a.m. (2:15 a.m. EDT) the Republic of Iraq assumed legal custody of Saddam Hussein,” said a short statement from interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi’s office.

The deposed leader and 11 of his lieutenants were turned over to face Iraqi justice nearly 15 months after U.S.-led forces overthrew him. They will stay under U.S. military guard.

“Saddam said ‘Good morning’ and asked if he could ask some questions,” said Salem Chalabi, the U.S.-trained lawyer leading the work of a tribunal set up to try the former president. “He was told he should wait until tomorrow,” Chalabi told Reuters after attending the formalities in which Saddam and his former lieutenants were turned over to Iraqi justice. Chalabi, who has received death threats since he began work on the tribunal, said the 67-year-old Saddam looked in good health and had sat in a chair during the closed proceedings.

Saddam’s former aides appeared nervous or hostile and one of them, Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as Chemical Ali for his role in using chemical weapons, was shaking.

And remember “Baghdad Bob,” the hilarious Iraqi Information Minister? I think we’ve found his replacement: Saddam’s lawyer, already ranting and seething and mangling the English language:

“This is a mockery of justice. We are facing clear legal violations. … The allegations that this is going to be a fair trial is baseless,” said Mohammad Rashdan, one of a 20-member legal team appointed by Saddam’s wife to represent him.

“Any trial of the president is illegal and unjust and it follows from the aggression that took place against Iraq. The trial is a farce and the guilty verdict had been issued even before the trial has begun,” he added.

Rashdan said he and his legal associates in the United States filed suits against the U.S. authorities for not allowing them access to Saddam. The defense team was not given any of the tons of documentation prepared by a special tribunal that will try the former Iraqi leader, he added.

He said the team, which includes lawyers from the United States and France, had been threatened by Iraqi officials and feared for their lives if they came to Baghdad to defend Saddam without international protection.

“They should provide us with international protection. … Do they want to slaughter all the lawyers? If the court is not capable of ensuring a proper defense, is this is the justice they are thinking of delivering?” Rashdan said. “On what basis was the court set up and who appointed the judges and what laws it is subject to?” Rashdan asked, adding the tribunal’s judges had been bribed to take on the task.

“They are afraid of a bringing out the truth because a fair trial would be an indictment of (President) Bush. He has to first prove whether his entry into Iraq was legal or not,” Rashdan said.