The death sentence against former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is just a political show put on by the United States, Chinese analysts said.

As the White House hailed as a milestone the decision by an Iraqi court to uphold the death sentence against Saddam Hussein, the verdict could become a flashpoint for many Iraqis, who continue to suffer from the daily chaos and bloodshed unleashed by the US invasion. The verdict could focus their anger on the US's inability to stop violence in the war-torn country, analysts said.

"The date of the execution depends on the needs of different interest groups, especially the White House, rather than the explanation of law," said Ye Qing, deputy director of Middle Eastern Studies at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies.

The influence of Saddam has declined since he was captured by US forces at the end of 2003, Ye said. "The sentence is just a political show. Every step was indeed under the control of the White House," he added.

The Iraqi High Court first delivered the death sentence right before the American people were about to cast their votes in the mid-term elections early last month because the Bush administration believed that the verdict would help win more votes for his Republican Party, he said.

"As Washington doesn't know what its next step should be, sending Saddam to the gallows could open a door to a new path," said Hua Liming, former Chinese ambassador to Iran and an expert on the Middle East.

Washington believes that the death penalty could win the hearts and minds of those who hate Saddam, such as the Shi'ites and Kurds, thus easing the intensity of sectarian fighting, Hua said.

"To appease Sunnis, especially those who are still loyal to Saddam and may fire more bullets, the White House held out the possibility of negotiations to members of Saddam's Ba'ath Party who don't have blood on their hands and are willing to join the Iraqi Government," Hua said.

Given that the Republican Party will hand the baton to the Democrats in the US Congress and Bush's term is drawing to a close, the US' Iraq policy will not change significantly, Hua added.

"The Bush administration just wants to keep the situation from getting worse, so it can leave the burden for the next president," Hua said.

Democrats will definitely use Iraq to attack Republicans in the presidential elections in 2008, he said.

(China Daily 12/28/2006 page7)