Saddam calls for reconciliation in the court

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Source: CCTV.com | 11-08-2006 14:19

Special Report:   Iraq in Transition

Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has urged Iraqis to seek reconciliation. The ousted leader returned to court on Tuesday, two days after he was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity.

Saddam looked subdued when he appeared in court on Tuesday. Instead of showing his usual contempt and defiance, he listened quietly to witnesses recount how they were detained or tortured under his rule. And the message he extended when he was asked to speak was also unexpected.

Saddam said, “I call on all Iraqis, Arabs and Kurds, to forgive, reconcile and shake hands.”

Saddam's fate, after the death penalty verdict, is now in the hands of an appellate chamber. No execution is likely before next year.

The verdict seems to have heightened deep divisions in the country. The ruling has sparked condemnation among Sunni Arabs. They say the court only serves as an instrument of political revenge for Shi'ites and Kurds.