US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice termed Sunday the sentencing of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein to death by hanging "a triumph over the rule of fear," DPA reported The Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal earlier found Saddam and six of his former top government aides guilty of ordering the killing of 148 Shiites in the town of Dujail in 1982 in retaliation for an attempt on Saddam's life. In a statement, Rice said the sentences were "a hopeful reminder to all Iraqis that the rule of law can triumph over the rule of fear and that the peaceful pursuit of justice is preferable to the pursuit of vengeance." The US government and the American people "applaud those brave Iraqis, whether they be judges, prosecutors or defence attorneys who continue to work every day in the name of justice, democracy and the rule of law in Iraq," Rice said.
