WRAP Talabani, Maliki, Zebari, Baghdad's mayor react to verdict

(5 Nov 2006) AP TELEVISION Paris, France 1. Various of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani seated in hotel suite watching televised trial of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jalal Talabani, Iraqi President: "I think the trial was fair, those people had full right to say what they want, they even used it for agitation, for propaganda, for talking against the Iraqi government, and I must respect the independence of the Iraqi judiciary." 3. Various Talabani watching trial 4. SOUNDBITE (English) Jalal Talabani, Iraqi President: "Well, I have said that when Iraqi armed forces will be ready to secure the country then we will tell our friends bye bye dear friends. I cannot say exactly the date but we are in a hurry to prepare our forces, to train them, to provide them with the equipment necessary. This is something that must be decided by the military commanders." 5. Wide of Talabani watching television news AP TELEVISION Baghdad, Iraq 6. People watching Saddam trial on television POOL Baghdad, Iraq 7. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Nouri al-Maliki, Iraq Prime Minister: "Saddam Hussein was the worse ruler in Iraq's history, he was the only one who killed many people's sons." AP TELEVISION Baghdad, Iraq 8. People watching trial on television POOL Baghdad, Iraq 9. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Nouri al-Maliki, Iraq Prime Minister: "I'm telling all those misled by the remnants of the former regime that Saddam and his party era became past history like the eras of other dictators such as Hitler and Mussolini." AP TELEVISION Paris, France 10. Wide shot of Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari watching television news 11. Mid shot of television with news coverage about Saddam verdict 12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hoshyar Zebari, Iraqi Foreign Minister: "There could be some upsurge in violence, some demonstrations of violence by the Baathists, by Saddam's leftovers, his torturers, his criminals, members of his special security forces which are responsible for the death and the killings of innocent Iraqis. But this would be shortlived, in my view, and in the medium and long term I think that they will be demoralised. Saddam was still a very important figure in the violence that we are going through but I am convinced that it (the verdict) will have a positive impact because it will bring closure to this chapter of Saddam's era." 13. Various of Zebari AP TELEVISION Sadr City, Baghdad 14. Various of demonstrators chanting anti-Saddam slogans 15. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Hayder al-Tahan, Mayor of Baghdad: ''According to the law, the verdict could be appealed in 30 days. And then the three-man presidency committee could sign the verdict. And if anyone refuses to sign such a sentence, he will face the same destiny of the tyrant Saddam.'' 16. Motorcade of Baghdad's mayor leaving celebration STORYLINE: Iraq's leaders responded in a cautious tone on Sunday as Iraq's High Tribunal found deposed former leader Saddam Hussein guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced him to hang for the 1982 killing of 148 Shiites in the city of Dujail. Saddam's half brother and former intelligence chief Barzan Ibrahim, and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, head of the former Revolutionary Court, were sentenced to join Saddam on the gallows for the Dujail killings. Immediately after the verdicts were announced clashes broke out in north Baghdad's heavily Sunni Azamiyah district and people in Sadr City, the capital's Shiite stronghold, celebrated in the streets. He said he would make his position known after all the legal proceedings were exhausted. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...