Chief Prosecutor: Appeals Court to Rule on Saddam's Death Sentence by Mid-January

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - A round-the-clock curfew imposed in the capital ahead of Saddam Hussein's conviction and death sentence eased on Monday, with residents once more allowed to walk the streets and sidewalks of their city. Around the country, jubilant Shiites celebrated the verdict, as Sunnis held defiant counter-demonstrations.

The surge in violence expected immediately after the Sunday verdict on Saddam's trial for crimes against humanity did not materialize.

Iraq's appeals court was expected to rule on Saddam Hussein's guilty verdict and death sentence by mid-January, the chief prosecutor said Monday.

Additionally, the Associated Press has learned, Iraq's three-man presidential council agreed at least six months ago not to block the death penalty for Saddam, should it be upheld on appeal.