#2 As in most systems, under Iraqi criminal procedure (the one under which the Tribunal operates) the defendant need not be at the court session - it's at the discretion of the chief judge to compel his presence or not. These little tantrums by Saddam have usually been a test of wills with the trial panel, but I'm not sure the current chief judge cares all that much. And I think Saddam just doesn't want to sit there on TV while the graphic evidence of his huge crimes are set out for global review (similar to the first trial, where the introduction of documentary evidence caused the defendants to slump, and their histrionic "defense counsel" to go generally limp, for a time).
The defendants have TV available to them in their cells in the courthouse, as has been explained to the press in the past. So if Saddam wants to pout in his cell, and Judge Mohammed agrees, then we'll have an empty seat up front, left side.
One interesting thing to see would be if other defendants followed suit. These defendants are a lot more substantial as individuals (esp. Gen. Ahmad and Ali Hassan Majid) than the Dujayl bunch - I think we might seem some of them charting their own course even if Number One decides his best tactic is to stay out of view. In Dujayl, Saddam constantly tried to orchestrate group behavior on things like courtroom "boycotts" - with mixed results.
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"And I'm not going to my execution, either, so there!"