Ain-Al-Yaqeen - November 10, 2006

		November 10, 2006

ARAB, ISLAMIC AND INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNATION OF ISRAEL'S ATTACKS ON PALESTINIAN VILLAGES.
TURKEY STOPS AN ECONOMIC DELEGATION FROM TRAVELLING TO ISRAEL AND THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER SHOWS READINESS TO HOLD TALKS WITH ANY PALESTINIAN NATIONAL GOVERNMENT EVEN IF IT INCLUDES MEMBERS FROM HAMAS.
THE FRENCH DEFENCE MINISTER: THE ISRAELI VIOLATIONS ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THEY MAY BE FELT AS HOSTILE BY FORCES OF THE COALITION THAT COULD BE BROUGHT TO RETALIATE IN CASE OF SELF-DEFENSE.
SADDAM HUSSEIN , BARZAN AND AL BANDAR SENTENCED TO DEATH WHILE RAMADAN GETS LIFE IMPRISONMENT.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz received a message from King Mohammad VI of Morocco.

The message was delivered to the king by Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs And Cooperation Mr. Mohammad Bin Isa during an audience.

The audience was attended by a number of princes and officials.

Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Premier, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General received the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Mohammad bin Isa.

During the meeting, they discussed issues pertaining to the recent developments in Arab and international arenas as well as ways of enhancing the bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Morocco.

On the other hand the Jordanian Monarch King Abdullah II warned against outbreak of the situation in the Middle East during the next year if the Palestinian-Israeli peace process is not revived.

In an interview with editors of the London-based Financial Times Newspaper, the King said that the serious danger is represented by violence, escalated in the Palestinian territories and the by the possibility of renewing fight in Lebanon.

It is noteworthy that the Israeli forces since six days has been attacking the town of Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip, leaving dozens of Palestinian victims. On the other hand, a Palestinian citizen blew up himself near a center of Israeli forces in the same town, causing the injury of one of the soldiers.

The King said that the time period between each crisis and the other in the Middle East had been occurring almost every year but this period is getting shorter day after day.

Since the war broke out in the summer between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah, a number of Arab leaders warned about the growing extremism, stressing that this matter could only be countered by resolving the Palestinian issue, which is the fundamental cause of the conflict in the region.

King Abdullah II said that extremists derive courage from what is being, while the moderates stay in a weak position.

He pointed out that many countries in the region monitor shifts in the balance of power and look forward to choose which side to join.

King Abdullah II said that there is now an Arab and Islamic group working to push the peace process forward, based on the 2002 initiative that was endorsed at the Arab summit held in Beirut.

In an address read in his name by Mr Hamid Karoui, the first vice-president of the Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD) on the occasion of the 18 th RCD symposium, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali said that the holding of such an event "is a confirmation of the strong relations uniting our party to sisterly and friendly Arab, African, Mediterranean and European countries and in the American and Asian continents."

Referring to this year's theme, namely, "the civilizational dimension of international relations in the 21st century", The Head of State and President of the Democratic Constitutional Rally said that "Dialogue among civilizations and cultures is the best shield to safeguard humanity's rich heritage, to promote commonly shared values and protect them against the threats of seclusion, fanaticism, terrorist tendencies, and attempts to sow discord among peoples, at a time when all barriers have been removed and the means of communication have achieved an unprecedented evolution and extent."

Commenting on Tunisia 's rich civilization and a country which offers "the best example of universal cultural convergence" President Ben Ali stressed the fact that Tunisia "has for more than 3000 years been a model of mutual dialogue between cultures, dialogue of civilizations, openness and authenticity".

He added that "Since the November 7 Change, we have worked to consolidate the foundations of our civilization.. While preserving our Islamic identity of which we are proud, and protecting and defending its foundations".

Insisting that "civilizations and culture are not a commodity to buy and sell" President Ben Ali called for "the establishment of a true partnership among political parties and civil society components so that the dialogue of civilizations and protection of their diversity, will be translated into concrete reality and a program incorporated within all programs of cooperation among countries."

Concluding his address, President Ben Ali expressed his conviction that this year's symposium "will constitute another step in this noble path.. toward establishing more peaceful, just, equitable and balanced international relations, taking into consideration peoples' civilization specificities and working for a better life for all humanity."

In London, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia has called on the world community to mount pressure on Israel to coerce it carry out united nations-sponsored resolutions calling for non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

In a speech before the middle east: a region free of all mass destruction weapons and means of their delivery conference held at the oriental and African college at the university of London, Prince Mohammed Bin Nawaf Bin Abdul Aziz, Ambassador of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Kingdom and Ireland, read on his behalf by Dr. Saud Alammari, an official of the Saudi embassy in London, called for the accession of Israel to the treaty of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and putting its nuclear facilities at the disposal of the international atomic energy agency inspectors.

He reiterated the kingdom's position that the middle east becomes a mass destruction weapons free, noting that this position emanates from the kingdom's concept that the spread of such destructive and embargoed arms, particularly amid the current Arab Israeli conflict, would never achieve the prospected security. Instead, it would aggravate tension and conflict among the peoples of the region, enabling terrorists to acquire such weapons and threaten the world at large, the Ambassador said.

Regarding the kingdom's position towards the Iranian world crises, the Saudi Ambassador said the kingdom has repeatedly called on all parties concerned of the Iranian nuclear crisis to resort to dialogue and negotiations and follow peaceful approaches to reach a solution of the crisis, particularly in view of Iran's constant announcement that its nuclear program is confined to peaceful purposes.

He said the achievement of security and stability in the region, including the Arab gulf region, would not come through work to obtain mass destruction weapons but through each country's shouldering responsibility towards maintaining its own security and stability and observing others' interests and rights as bringing about security and peace is a joint responsibility that is not confined to one country rather than the other.

The aim of this conference was to develop an ongoing process of dialogue to assist in working towards meeting the UN Security Council's objective of a Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone.

The Conference provided an opportunity for officials, academics and non-governmental organisations from nations, and international and supranational organisations, to present their perspectives.

Expert workshops addressed the technical, political, security and military conditions that need to be in place to create a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction.

Several Arab countries as well as the GCC took part in the conference and expressed their countries views towards the issue. The participants included Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran in addition to members of several international and regional organizations.

The State of Kuwait supports the objective of establishing a zone free from weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their means of delivery, Kuwaiti Ambassador Nabila Al-Mulla declared.

Addressing the London conference on the Middle East WMD free zone, Ambassador Al-Mulla underlined that verification should include both declared and undeclared nuclear installations activities, equipment and programmes.

She told delegates that states exporting nuclear technology must undertake not to supply countries of the region with material or technology related to the acquisition, development or production of nuclear weapons.

Ambassador Al-Mulla said that the establishment of a nuclear weapons free zone (NWFZ) is considered a step towards a region free from all forms of WMD.

She noted that the interest in the free zone received some impetus following the second Gulf War to liberate Kuwait through the UN Security Council resolution 687 and the Madrid conference which established one of five multilateral groups entrusted to address arms control and regional security...

She noted that the current debate on the Iranian programme pushed to the forefront Israel's nuclear capability.

Outlining Kuwaiti concerns in that respect she said they include proliferation, security and safety.

Kuwait has deep concerns of proliferation given its experience with the clandestine aspects of Iraqs previous nuclear programme and the lack of transparency of the Iranian programme.

On the other hand the holocaust of innocent Palestinians continued as Israeli shells slammed into Gaza homes killing 18 people, mainly women and children as they slept.

The cold blooded attack, which drew worldwide condemnation, and the deaths of another five Palestinians killed in a pre-dawn raid in occupied West Bank and another two in a Gaza refugee camp, prompted moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to accuse Israel of destroying peace hopes.

While Israeli leaders offered regret for the "tragedy" and aid for the wounded, the international community urged a halt to Gaza operations, which have killed more than 300 Palestinians since a soldier's capture in late June.

But while Defense Minister Amir Peretz ordered a halt to all artillery fire in the coastal strip pending an inquiry, a senior official said the four-month operation against Gaza fighters, launched after the capture of Cpl. Gilad Shalit, would go on.

"Israeli fire killed 18 people, including women and children," said Khaled Radi, a Palestinian Health Ministry spokesman. Among the dead were eight children and five women, Palestinian medics said.

Eleven of the dead were from the same family while another 40 people were wounded during the shelling that slammed into a row of five apartment blocks.

"I ran away and saw a second shell strike the houses. A shell fell on people who had run out into the street," said local resident Ataf Ahmed, 22, following the attack, one day after Israel ended a deadly ground operation in Beit Hanoun.

Another two Palestinians, including a Hamas fighter, were killed in the nearby refugee camp of Jabaliya and five others, including four fighters, were killed in a pre-dawn raid near the flashpoint city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, medics said.

A three-day mourning period was declared in the Palestinian territories, while Abbas and Hamas Premier Ismail Haniyeh expressed a rare show of unity, holding hands on their way to donate blood at a Gaza hospital.

In a joint statement, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Peretz "expressed their regret over the deaths of Palestinian civilians in Beit Hanoun" and "offered the Palestinian Authority urgent humanitarian assistance and immediate medical care for the wounded."

"Israel does everything to avoid hitting innocent civilian populations during operations, unfortunately tragedies sometimes happen. We are sorry," Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said.

An army spokeswoman said artillery had been trained on an area used by Palestinian fighters to fire rockets into the Jewish state.

Twelve such projectiles exploded inside Israel over the past 24 hours and some 50 over the past week, she said.

The deaths, coupled to 64 Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip over the previous seven days, bring to more than 80 the number killed in Israeli operations in the territories in seven days.

Top officials of Hamas and moderate Abbas' Fatah party called for a resumption of suicide attacks in Israel, nearly two years after factions agreed to abide by an informal truce in such bombings inside the Jewish state.

"We urge our mujahedeen (fighters) everywhere to resume martyr operations (suicide attacks) in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and Jaffa and everywhere else," Hamas' Nizar Rayan shouted into loudspeakers during protests in Beit Lahiya. Hamas' exiled policital supremo Khaled Meshaal vowed from his Damascus headquarters that the deaths would be avenged."We do not denounce simply by words, but by acts.....the heroes of the resistance on Palestinian land and all of our people will respond by acts," he said.

Israeli police said it placed its forces on alert following the threats.

Abbas condemned Israel's "terrible massacre" and together with Haniyeh demanded an urgent UN Security Council meeting to "stop these massacres."

"You (the Israelis) do not want peace at all. You have destroyed all chances of peace and you should bear all the responsibility," the Palestinian leader told reporters.

The Israeli attack was condemned throughout the world, though its main and most powerful ally the United States remained silent by midday. The UN special envoy for the Middle East, Alvaro de Soto, called on Israel "to call off these and other military operations without delay," and on the Palestinian side to "cease all attacks against Israeli targets."

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has condemned and deplored the crimes committed by the Israeli forces in Beit-Hanoon, north of Gaza, and other regions in the Palestinian territories killing tens of people including children, women and innocent civilians.

An official source in a statement to spa, said the kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the time when it has been following up with a great anxiety and concern the frequent aggressions by the Israeli forces against the Palestinian people, would like to reiterate its call to the international community to take swift measures for ending the Israeli aggressions against the innocent Palestinians, and to work for the revival of the peace process in line with the Arab peace plan and the resolutions of the international legitimacy.

'The kingdom of Saudi Arabia would like to warn against the evil consequences of continuation of the Israeli aggressions and their adverse impact on the march of peace in the entire Middle East region', said the official source.

He noted that there is an urgent need for convening an international conference that attended by all concerned parties to explore means for putting an end to such heinous massacres and for the protection of the Palestinian people.

The Secretary General of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdul-rahman bin Hamad Al-Attiyah strongly condemned the criminal and brutal massacres perpetrated by Israel against Gaza strip's town of Beit Hanoun that killed several Palestinians of different ages.

"Israel is adopting a policy of genocide against the Palestinian people by all destructive means," Al-Attiyah noted.

In a statement, he reiterated his call on the Palestinians to unify their ranks to counter challenges and risks facing them as well as confront repressive operations carried out by Israel against the unarmed Palestinian people.

He urged the international community to bear its responsibility and move urgently for an immediate end of this brutal aggression.

Bahrain also said the attack "thwarts" hopes for peace. "The recent bloody developments, including the massacre of Beit Hanoun, is a deterioration which thwarts hopes and drags the region to a dangerous decline," Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad Al-Khalifa told the official BNA news agency.

Arab foreign ministers planned to hold an emergency meeting next week to discuss the killings, the Arab League's Secretary-General Amr Moussa said. "The message from Israel is clear, that it will be stopped by no one. And as such Arab countries must take up their responsibilities," Moussa said after a meeting of Arab League representatives.

The international community has condemned the Israeli massacre in Beit Hanoun and urged a halt to Gaza incursions, which have killed more than 300 Palestinians since late June. Even Israel's main and most powerful ally, the United States, called the strike a "terrible tragedy that we deeply regret," but urged Palestinians to exercise restraint.

A three-day mourning period was declared in the Palestinian territories, while President Abbas and Hamas premier Ismail Haniya expressed a rare show of unity, holding hands on their way to donate blood at a Gaza hospital.

The deaths, together with 64 Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip over the previous seven days, brought to more than 80 the number killed in Israeli attacks in the occupied Palestinian territories in seven days.

Abbas condemned Israel's "terrible massacre" and together with Haniya demanded an urgent UN Security Council meeting to stop the bloodshed.

"You (the Israelis) do not want peace at all. You have destroyed all chances of peace and you should bear all the responsibility," he said.

In Ramallah, head of the negotiations department in the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Dr Saeb Erekat denounced the massacre saying that Israel had killed 80 Palestinians during the past week.

He lashed out at the world community for its silence towards this massacres against the civilians.

Israeli tanks attacked earlier today houses in Beit Hanoun killing at least 19 people and wounding others.

Erekat said that the PLO has contacted the quartet members, adding its response was not desirable, a matter that had prompted Israel to continue its aggression.

The Israeli branch of Physicians for Human Rights called for a halt to Gaza operations, saying that more than 60 percent of those killed since late June were civilians and more than 20 percent minors.

The Israeli attack was condemned worldwide.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called Abbas to express "deep sorrow" over the deaths, his spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina told AFP.

The Beit Hanun deaths came just five days before Olmert was due to meet US President George W. Bush in Washington, and Abbas asked Rice "to move to stop Israeli aggression in the Palestinian territories," Rudeina said.

The UN special envoy for the Middle East, Alvaro de Soto, urged Israel and the Palestinians to stop attacks against each other.

European Union called the event "profoundly shocking," saying "Israel has a right to defend itself, but not at the price of the lives of the innocent."

Arab League chief Amr Mussa said the attack was an unjustified "massacre of children, women and civilians."

Turkey, spoke up against "disproportionate and indiscriminate use of force against (Palestinian) rocket attacks." and stopped sending its economic delegation to Israel.

Jordan and Egypt, slammed the "horrible massacre" and "immoral and inhumane attack" respectively."

The Beit Hanun deaths sparked worldwide condemnation and vows of renewed suicide attacks inside the Jewish state by Palestinian militant groups.

Palestinian U.N. observer Ryad Mansour appealed to the Security Council to condemn the Israeli "massacre" and deploy U.N. observers to monitor a mutual ceasefire.

He said "this is state terrorism. These are war crimes, for which the perpetrators must be held accountable under international law."

"The lawlessness and impunity of Israel must be brought to an end, and the Palestinian people must be accorded their rights, including their right to protection as a civilian population under occupation."

He called for "an investigation of the massacre ... and for a U.N. observer force to monitor (a) mutual ceasefire."

Mansour spoke during an emergency meeting of the Security Council called by Qatar, the lone Arab member of the Council, on behalf of Arab U.N. member states.

Foreign ministers from seven Islamic states are to meet in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah next week to discuss this month's deadly Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.

The ministers from Azerbaijan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal and Yemen will gather on Saturday, November 18 for the meeting, which will also be attended by Palestinian representatives, the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference said.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas requested the meeting in a telephone conversation with OIC secretary general Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the bloc added.

The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) condemned on Wednesday Israeli massacres against the Palestinian people in the towns of Beit Hanoun and Al-Yamoun that have claimed at least 20 lives, mostly children, in addition to scores of civilians who were wounded in the wide-scale attacks.

OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said in a statement Israel's criminal acts affirmed its negligence of international laws and its insistence on perpetrating more war crimes, in violation of Geneva Fourth Covenant.

He called on the international community to intervene quickly to halt the genocides and the human rights violations in Palestine. He called for measures for protecting the Palestinian people against Israel's state terrorism.

The speaker of the Interim Arab Parliament (IAP) Mohammad Al-Saqer on Wednesday condemned Israeli massacres in Beit Hanoun northern Gaza Strip.

Al-Saqer, of Kuwait, called in a statement on national, regional and international parliaments to take a firm position vis-a-vis the Israeli unprecedented and repeated massacres against the Palestinian people. Al-Saqer also called on the UN Security Council (UNSC), The UN Human Rights Council (HRC) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) to form a committee to probe the Israeli human rights violations and massacres on the Palestinians.

Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), deplored Wednesday the Israeli military operation in Beit Hanoun, in the Gaza Strip, which left at least 18 dead to the high number of casualties.

"I deplore the Israeli military operation carried out last night in Beit Hanoun, which has resulted in the deaths of 18 people, mostly civilians. My thoughts go out to the families of the victims," Solana said in a statement.

Solana said that while he extends his condolences, "It is high time to break the cycle of violence that I condemn in the strongest terms".

"These military operations must be halted. We must give a chance to the process of reconciliation between Palestinians," he said.

He also said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas must be fully supported in his efforts to form a new government.

The European Union hopes that the political forces engaged in the formation of a new Palestinian government will be able to resume their dialogue and succeed in their efforts to achieve reconciliation, Solana said.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan was "shocked" to learn about the Israeli military operation carried out early today Wednesday in a residential area in Beit Hanoun, Gaza, which resulted in the deaths of at least 18 Palestinians, including eight children and seven women.

Annan extended his condolences to the bereaved families of the victims and "reminds both sides" of their obligations under international humanitarian law regarding the protection of civilians in armed conflict," his spokesman Stephane Dujarric told the daily press briefing.

"The Secretary-General reiterates his call to the Israeli government to cease its military operations in Gaza without delay and calls on the Palestinian side to also halt attacks against Israeli targets," he said.

In the UK the British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he was willing to hold talks with any Palestinian national government even it includes members of Hamas.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora called Palestinian Presient Mahmoud Abbas denouncing the Israeli attacks that targets Palestinian innocent people and called on the international community to put pressure on Israel to stop the bloodshed in the occupied territories.

On the other hand Lebanese troops last Thursday deployed around the border town of Ghajar, two days after Israeli troops withdrew from its outskirts but continued to occupy the Lebanese parts of the village. Security sources said Lebanese soldiers from the 10th brigade set up three positions along the Wazzani river, only 600 meters west of Ghajar.

They said Lebanese troops were also removing barricades 20 meters north of Ghajar in a bid to set up another position there.

The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon said Israeli troops withdrew Tuesday from an area surrounding Ghajar, the last piece of Lebanese territory still occupied following the July-August offensive on Lebanon.

UNIFIL also confirmed that the Israeli army "is still present inside the northern part of the village of Ghajar and the immediate vicinity, inside Lebanese territory."

On October 26, UNIFIL said "minor administrative issues" continued to delay the pullout of Israeli forces from Lebanese parts of Ghajar.

Israeli troops continued to occupy the Lebanese parts of the village after their October 1 withdrawal from southern Lebanon. That came almost seven weeks after a U.N.-brokered truce took effect on August 14, ending 34 days of fighting between Israel and Hizbullah.

Ghajar lies at the foot of Mount Hermon and straddles the Lebanese-Syrian border. It is inhabited by Alawites, most of whom have obtained Israeli citizenship even though they consider themselves Syrian.

The village is an extension of the Syrian Golan Heights plateau, which Israel occupied during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and then annexed in 1981.

According to a U.N.-drawn "blue line" marking the border between Israel and Lebanon following a May 2000 Israeli troop pullout, one-third of the village is on Lebanese soil, while the other two thirds are part of occupied Syrian territory.(

The general secretariat of the Arab League called the International society on Thursday to provide international protection for the Palestinian people against the Israeli aggression and send international peace keeping forces to the Palestinian lands.

The Arab League renewed its call for the Arab countries to send immediate aid to Palestinian people especially food and medicine.

On the other hand French United Nations troops were "two seconds" away recently from firing at Israeli aircraft diving towards their position in southern Lebanon, Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said in parliament.

"Two seconds later there would have been a shot against the aircraft which were directly menacing our forces," Alliot-Marie said.

"A catastrophe was avoided thanks to the judiciousness of our troops," she added.

The incident occurred on October 31, the defence ministry said, without giving the exact location.

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said that a caution would be given to the Israeli authorities, saying that "Israeli flights over southern Lebanon are a source of serious concern".

"When Israeli aircraft recently 'dived' on French UNIFIL soldiers, it is a miracle that nothing serious happened, because there could have been a response on the part of French troops," Douste-Blazy said.

The foreign ministry gave no details on the form that the caution would take.

Alliot-Marie had warned last month that Israeli air violations in Lebanon were "extremely dangerous" and must end in the interest of all parties.

French President Jacques Chirac had also urged Israel to stop violating Lebanon's air space.

Alliot-Marie spoke on October 20 to reporters after holding talks with UN chief Kofi Annan and Jean-Marie Guehenno, the French head of the UN peacekeeping operations, that focused on the Israeli intrusions into Lebanese air space.

"These violations are extremely dangerous because they may be felt as hostile by forces of the coalition that could be brought to retaliate in case of self-defense and it would be a very serious incident," the French minister had said.

She was reacting to a suggestion made by the commander of UN troops in Lebanon, French General Alain Pellegrini, that the rules of engagement for his forces might have to be changed to allow the use of force to stop the Israeli air violations.

"If the diplomatic means should not be enough, maybe it could be considered other ways," Pellegrini added, referring to the possible use of anti-aircraft missiles by French forces in Lebanon.

But he noted that such a move would require "new rules of engagement drafted and decided here (at UN headquarters)".

He insisted that the Israeli air violations were a "clear violation" of Security Council resolution 1701 which ended the month-long war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas in southern Lebanon in August.

Alliot-Marie stressed at the time that the ground-to-air missiles protecting the French contingent in the UN mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were exclusively for self-defense.

In Baghdad a defiant Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death by hanging for crimes against humanity.

Judge Rauf Rasheed Abdel Rahman was obliged to shout to make the sentence heard over Saddam's protestations. "Make him stand," barked the judge, as Saddam shouted at the guards: "Don't bend my arms. Don't bend my arms." A court official held Saddam's hands as he was pushed into place to hear Abdel Rahman declare: "The highest penalty should be implemented."

Saddam, 69, was sentenced to death for "willful killing," part of his indictment for crimes against humanity in his role in ordering the deaths of 148 Shiite villagers in the village of Dujail, north of Baghdad in 1982.

Raising a finger in the air and at other times brandishing a copy of the Qur'an, Saddam protested the court's decision. "Long live the Iraqi people. God is greater than the occupier," he cried before security guards pinned his hands behind his back as the judge went on delivering the sentence.

Another security guard was thrown out of court after a defense lawyer protested that the guard had been openly mocking Saddam. The guards later hustled Saddam out of the courtroom.

But the defiant former military strongman still gave a quick smile, looking at the prosecutors' bench and the press gallery as he was escorted from the court.

Saddam's half-brother and intelligence chief Barzan Al-Tikriti was also sentenced to death, as was Awad Ahmed Al-Bandar, who was chairman of the so-called Revolutionary Court that ordered the Shiites executed.

Former Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan received a life sentence, while three Baath party officials from Dujail received 15 years each and a fourth, more junior figure, was cleared.

The tribunal's spokesman and chief investigative judge, Raed Al-Juhi, said Saddam's appeal process would begin today and its deliberations would last a month, but that no date had been set for the announcement of its final decision.

If the appeals court, a nine-member panel of judges, upholds Abdel Rahman's verdict, Saddam will be hanged within 30 days of its ruling.

Saddam's most outspoken American defender, former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, was thrown out of the trial and accused of insulting the people of Iraq. Clark, a member of Saddam's defense team and a strident critic of the conduct of his trial, attended the start of the session but was ejected before Saddam was sentenced.

"Get him out of the hall. He came from America to ridicule the Iraqi people and ridicule the court," Judge Abdel Rahman said. "A bad arrow returns to the chest of its shooter."

After the hearing, chief prosecutor Jaafar Al-Mussawi told reporters that the court would file a complaint against Clark with the American Bar Association, and also accused him of contempt. "Clark submitted a study containing phrases humiliating to the Iraqi people and subsequently the court had no option but to take a decision to dismiss him from the session," Mussawi said at a news conference.

Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki said Saddam's execution could not compare with "one drop of the blood" of the martyrs who died opposing his rule.

"This sentence is not a sentence on one man, but a sentence against all the dark period of his rule," Maliki said in a passionate address to the nation shortly after Saddam was convicted.

"This ruler has committed the most horrible crimes. He executed the best scientists, academics and thinkers," said Maliki.