FOR AND AGAINST SADDAM: A foreigner who identified himself as an Iraqi national arguing with SUCI activists in Mysore on Thursday who were protesting against the death sentence awarded to Saddam Hussein. — PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

MYSORE: Activists of Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) staged a demonstration at K.R. Circle here on Thursday against the death sentence to deposed president of Iraq Saddam Hussein.

They shouted slogans against U.S. President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair for "conspiring" to hang Hussein.

Convener of the district unit of SUCI M. Shashidhar said the U.S.-Britain combine had waged a war on the "false" pretext of unearthing weapons of mass destruction (WMD) with an eye on oil reserves of Iraq. The two countries were responsible for the death of 6.5 lakh people.

"The war waged by them against Iraq was illegal. Hence, the verdict by their puppet regime in Baghdad was also unlawful," he said.

"It is not a judgment, but a declaration of murder. The verdict should be immediate withdrawn and the armies of the U.S. and the U.K. should withdraw from Iraq," Mr. Shashidhar said. District organising committee member M. Umadevi said that it was not possible for modern society to accept the "victor's verdict" given against Saddam Hussein.

She said the inquiry against Saddam Hussein was a sham. For, two defence lawyers representing the deposed ruler of Iraq had been assassinated, while the judges conducting the trial had been replaced thrice, she added.

SUCI member B. Ravi said the U.S. had unleashed "global terrorism" by targeting several countries.

A foreigner identifying himself as an Iraqi national arrived at the venue and took exception to the protest against the death sentence to Hussein.

Introducing himself as Al Yahya Adel, he argued that Saddam Hussein deserved the death sentence as he had "butchered hundreds of Shiites".

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