WASHINGTON, July 1: US President George W. Bush welcomed deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's appearance in an Iraqi court on Thursday, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said , hailing it as an "important step" for the war-torn country.

"The president is pleased that Saddam Hussein and his regime leaders are going to be brought to justice by the Iraqi people in an Iraqi court for the atrocities his regime committed," McClellan told reporters here.

"This is an important step that will help the Iraqi people bring closure to the dark past of Saddam Hussein's brutal dictatorship," he added, noting that Saddam is "going to face justice he denied Iraqi people, including hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis who were victims of his brutality."

"Justice and the rule of law are part of the new Iraq with Saddam Hussein removed from power," he said. Asked about Saddam's defiance, McClellan said: "I am not interested in responding to everything he is going to say in court; he's going to say all sorts of things."

The White House spokesman decried the "grave atrocities" committed by Saddam's regime against the Iraqi people, saying: "His regime was responsible for the systematic murder, torture and rape of innocent Iraqis." -AFP