BAGHDAD, Iraq — Guards forcibly ejected a defense lawyer from the courtroom and the chief judge shouted down Saddam Hussein in a stormy start today to the latest session of his trial.

After the initial squabbling, the court heard the first defense witness for Barzan Ibrahim, the former chief of Saddam's Mukharabat intelligence service. The witness — Sabawi Ibrahim al-Hassan, who was a presidential adviser and, like Ibrahim, one of Saddam's half brothers — has been in U.S. custody since February 2005.

The arguments and shouting began when chief judge informed defense lawyer Bushra Khalil that she would be allowed to return to the court after being removed from a session in April for arguing with the judge. But when she tried to make a statement, he quickly cut her off, saying, "Sit down."

"I just want to say one word," she said, but Abdel-Rahman yelled at guards to take her away. Khalil pulled off her judicial robe and threw it on the floor in anger, then tried to push the guards who were grabbing her hands, shouting, "Get away from me."

As she was pulled out of the court, Saddam objected from the defendants' pen, and Abdel-Rahman told him to be silent.

"I'm Saddam Hussein, president of Iraq. I am above all," Saddam shouted back.

"You are a defendant now, not a president," the judge barked.

After today's testimony, the court adjourned until Wednesday.