Saddam's verdict will plunge Iraq into full-scale civil war: Russia

Moscow, Nov 5 (UNI) The carrying out of the death sentence handed down to Saddam Hussein by the High Tribunal of Iraq will plunge the country in a full-scale civil war, leading to its disintegration, a senior-level parliamentary official said.

Commenting on the death sentence to Saddam, the head of the State Duma (Lower House) Committee on the International Affairs, Konstantin Kosachev said, ''I think, the carrying out of the sentence will plunge Iraq into a full-scale civil war, causing destabilisation of the situation in the whole region.'' Mr Kosachev told RIA Novosti news agency that the sentence to the former Iraqi leader may either be endlessly postponed or he may be amnestied.

''According to me, this sentence either will be endlessly postponed, or Saddam Hussein will be amnestied in this or that form,'' he said, stressing that carrying out of the death sentence does not suit the US or Iraq government.

Mr Kosachev said the pronouncement of the death sentence was expected and it could not have been otherwise.

''I think, the sentence was directly linked to the election campaign in the United States,'' he said, adding it was necessary for the US administration, on the eve of the Congress election, to show the ''virtual victory in Iraq''.

He also said keeping in view the present government in Iraq, the Tribunal on Saddam Hussein was ''political.'' UNI XC SI VA BD2042