PARIS, Dec 30: World political and religious leaders were divided on Saturday over whether Saddam Hussein's execution served as a milestone toward peace or motivation for further conflict in the Middle East.

Some key US allies expressed discomfort at the execution, which was roundly condemned by major human rights groups who argued that Saddam’s trial had been deeply flawed.

Russia, which opposed the March 20, 2003, invasion to oust the dictator, and the Vatican both expressed regret at the hanging which some Muslim leaders said would exacerbate the violence in Iraq.

Britain, the main US ally in Iraq, said Saddam had been “held to account” but reiterated its opposition to the use of the death penalty, as did Australia, another key supporter of the US invasion.

British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett welcomed the fact that Saddam had been tried by an Iraqi court “for at least some of the appalling crimes” he committed against the Iraqi people.

“The British government does not support the use of the death penalty, in Iraq or anywhere else,” she added.

Australia’s Foreign Minister Alexander Downer voiced similar reservations but also stressed the need to respect the right of sovereign states to pass judgement relating to crimes committed against their people.

“He has been brought to justice, following a process of fair trial and appeal something he denied to countless thousands of victims of his regime,” Downer said.

Iran, the influential neighbour of Iraq and arch-foe of the US administration, also welcomed the news. “The execution verdict of the court that tried Saddam has made thousands of Iranian, Iraqi and Kuwaiti victims happy,” said foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini.

Saddam Hussein was reviled in Iran for a 1980 attack that sparked an eight-year war that cost around one million lives on both sides.

And no tears were shed in Kuwait, which Saddam invaded in 1990.

“Saddam was an enemy to the Iraqi people and the Islamic nation,” said acting Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak al-Sabah.

Israel, a strong US ally and enemy of Saddam, also hailed the hanging, with a high-ranking Israeli official declaring: “Justice has been done.” But there was also condemnation of the execution.

Russia's foreign ministry expressed regret, saying that international calls for clemency had been ignored. “Unfortunately, the many appeals from representatives of various countries and international organisations for Iraq’s authorities to hold back from capital punishment were not heard,” a ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.

India, which had warm ties with the Saddam regime, said it was ‘disappointed’ by the execution.

The ruling Hamas movement in the Palestinian territories said Saddam was a prisoner of war and described his hanging as an act of “political assassination” that flouted international laws.

Libya declared three days of national mourning after the execution.

Malaysia, a leading Muslim nation, warned the execution of Saddam could trigger more bloodshed. “A lot of people, the international community generally, are not in favour of the hanging and question the due process that took place,” said Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar.

Outside of Britain, European reaction, led by the European Union, focused on opposition to the use of capital punishment.

“The European Union has been consistently against the use of the death penalty,” said Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency.

“It could also prove to be divisive for the future of Iraq especially since there has been serious criticism of the way the trial was conducted,” Tuomioja said.

France, a high profile opponent of the Iraq invasion at the United Nations, called on Iraqis to “look towards the future” and work towards reconciliation and national unity.

“Now more than ever, the objective should be a return to full sovereignty and stability in Iraq,” the French foreign ministry said in a statement.

German junior foreign minister Gernot Erler said that his country ‘understood’ the feelings of the victims of Saddam's brutal regime but remained opposed to capital punishment.

Among other major powers, Japan said it respected Iraq's decision to carry out the execution. “Japan hopes Iraq will turn into a stable country and will continue supporting the country together with the international community,” Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was quoted by Kyodo News as saying.

The Vatican saw the hanging as “tragic news”, Vatican spokesman Frederico Lombardi said.

“There is a risk that it feeds the spirit of vengeance and plants the seeds for fresh violence,” he said.--Agencies