Saddam Hussein has appeared in court for barely six hours so far, but doubts are already being raised about whether his trial is achieving its goals and if there will be enough evidence to convict him.

After two years of planning, some fear the trial, which reconvenes today, could become a drawn out public relations battle, with no guarantees that the tribunal and its US backers will come out on top in the court of public opinion.

?Hussein needs a trial which is just and fair, open and transparent?, Iraq?s Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari told France?s Le Figaro newspaper last week. ?It is imperative that the trial doesn?t become a public relations exercise.? ?We saw that during the course of (the last) hearing. Saddam behaved as if he was still the president of Iraq.? Putting the former president in the dock in Iraq, with the world watching, was always going to be a delicate exercise.

?Where?s the evidence??

The Americans need to show that victor?s justice is not being dispensed, while remaining closely involved in a legal process they helped design and are funding. The Iraqi government and the tribunal are trying to juggle citizens? demands for a speedy process that finds the former dictator guilty with international observers? calls for fairness and transparency.

Both parties are conscious of the defendants? and their lawyers? intentions to question at every turn the legitimacy of the court and grandstand about a US-backed show trial.

In the two sessions since the trial started on October 19, that has been Saddam?s tactic ? to challenge the court, act presidential and kick up a fuss. The chief judge has shown patience and largely kept Saddam in check, but that hasn?t prevented criticism.

?The court has obvious weaknesses and the judge seems scared,? Ali Adeeb, from the Shi?ite Dawa Party, a partner in the government, told Reuters. ?It?s Saddam who is questioning the judges.?

US officials close to the trial are quick to point out that it is an Iraqi-run affair and say conclusions about its effectiveness shouldn?t be drawn at this stage, with only one piece of evidence and one witness?s testimony submitted so far.

US authorities are in fact closely involved with bringing Saddam and other members of his regime to justice. The Regime Crimes Liaison Office, a US unit tied to the US embassy, is advising the tribunal, has helped gather evidence in several cases and assists with the training of judges and prosecutors. It helped build the courtroom.

?The Americans have attempted to Americanise the court (...) but it has to be run in an Iraqi way?, said Ridha Jwad Taqi, head of the political office of SCIRI, another Shi?ite party in the government.

At the second session, a witness gave evidence in videotaped testimony taken before he died of cancer in October.

Video showing Saddam questioning suspects in Dujail on the day a group of men tried to assassinate him there in 1982 ? the root of the charges against him for crimes against humanity ? was also shown.

A US network correspondent was surprised at the apparently flimsy evidence. ?If this is all they?ve got, it sort of makes you wonder if the guy might not end up getting off?, he said.

Luke BAKER