dpa
Saturday, December 30, 2006

Tehran- Iran on Saturday termed the execution of Saddam
Hussein as a "victory for the Iraqi people", state news agency IRNA
reported.
"The execution of Saddam Hussein was a victory for the Iraqi
people and no other country should take credit for that," Deputy
Foreign Minister Hamid-Reza told IRNA in a first reaction by Tehran
to the execution.

Assefi however criticised the swift execution and speculated that
the United States preferred to avoid disclosure of more details in
the court hearings.

"Investigation into the Iraqi invasion in Iran (1980-1988) and in
Kuwait (1990) could have disclosed the US involvement in Saddam's
crimes and therefore the Americans preferred to close the case
earlier," the Iranian official said.