M A I N   N E W S

Good day, says White House

Crawford (Texas), November 5
The White House called the verdict handed down to former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on Sunday a good day for Iraqis. “It’s a good day for the Iraqi people”, White House spokesman Tony Snow said. — Reuters

Verdict illegal: defence

Amman, November 5
A member of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's defence team dismissed the death verdict handed down against him today as illegal and aimed at serving US political interests.

"Pronouncing the verdict is illegal and this entire hearing is illegal," Lebanese lawyer Bushra Khalil told the Al-Jazeera Arab satellite television channel from the Jordanian capital Amman.

"We know that this is a political court. It was set up for political reasons to serve American interests, and therefore we cannot expect it to issue a legal verdict," she said.

Khalil also called on an "American commission to come to Baghdad to investigate" her accusations. — AFP

India reacts guardedly; Left outraged

New Delhi, November 5
The UPA government and the ruling Congress today reacted cautiously to the death verdict handed down on deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein while Left parties expressed outrage and sought India's intervention to get it rescinded.

The Muslim community gave a mixed reaction with some denouncing the verdict, while others saying the former Iraqi ruler deserved the punishment.

In a guarded reaction, India said such verdicts should not appear to be "victor's justice" and be acceptable to people of the country and the international community.

"Such life and death decisions require a credible due process of law," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in a statement here.

He said India had always stood for peaceful resolution of problems of Iraq. — PTI