Baghdad ? High-profile American lawyer Ramsey Clark came to the aid of Saddam Hussein on Monday, formally joining his team of attorneys. But while the former U.S. attorney general may have found the ultimate platform for his vehement opposition to the Iraq war, legal experts were divided over whether his participation would hurt or help the deposed dictator’s case.

The 77-year-old Clark long has been a champion of controversial causes and has had a roster of notorious clients, including a leader of the Rwandan genocide, former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and the Palestinian Liberation Organization. Clark, who met with Saddam briefly before the 2003 U.S. invasion, has for months played an advisory role in the ousted dictator’s defense on murder charges.

Based on the Dallas native’s past performances in high-profile trials, legal observers say he’ll almost certainly avoid addressing the specific allegations against Saddam and instead will try to turn the proceedings into a forum for airing his grievances against U.S. foreign policy.

Officials of Iraq’s government, made up mostly of Saddam’s longtime enemies, reacted with anger to Clark’s presence.