Saddam urges Iraqis to unite

Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein appealed to Iraqis from his prison cell to unite against what he called US efforts to sow sectarian divisions, his lawyers said yesterday.

Ziad Khasawneh, a Jordanian lawyer and spokesman for Saddam's defence team, told reporters: "President Saddam Hussein urged the unity of his Iraqi people, regardless of their religious and ethnic creed, to confront US plans to divide their country on sectarian grounds."

Saddam relayed his messages through Khalil Dulaimi, an Iraqi lawyer and member of the defence counsel who met the ousted leader for more than four hours on Thursday - Saddam's first access to lawyers since he was arrested a year ago.

Dulaimi's identity was until yesterday kept secret by Saddam's Amman-based legal team for fears over his life after he escaped an assassination attempt two weeks ago, defence lawyers said.

Saddam, who is denied access to news, was eager to know what had happened in Iraq since his captivity, Khasawneh said.

Saddam said Iraqis had to be cautious after Dulaimi told him US-backed elections would take place next month, said Lebanese lawyer Bushra al-Khalil, who is on the defence team.

But the former strongman was as defiant as ever and high-spirited in captivity, his lawyers said.