The concerns were underscored by the discovery of a police torture chamber in Baghdad last year, and by the apparent complicity of police in a mass kidnapping of Sunni workers that prompted authorities to take an entire police brigade out of service for retraining.

Among those charged in the torture at Site No. 4, the prison in eastern Baghdad, were a general, 19 officers, 20 noncommissioned officers and 17 patrolmen or civilian employees.

A top Shi'ite leader said Tuesday that Iraq's neighbors could play a positive role in improving the deteriorating security situation in the country but first they have to be convinced that US troops are not a danger to them.

Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the largest bloc in parliament, the United Iraqi Alliance, was referring to Iran and Syria, counties that have been accused by the United States of aiding a three-year insurgency that has killed tens of thousands of people.

"As you know, the lack of stability in a country could be the result of an internal or external factor. Some neighboring countries could have a negative effect on the situation at the same time these countries could play a positive role," al-Hakim told The Associated Press during an interview in his heavily guarded house overlooking the Tigris.

His comments came a month after former Secretary of State James Baker, who heads the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, suggested that Washington should engage Syria and Iran in the effort to pacify Iraq.

On Tuesday, Iran urged Iraq to disregard calls for clemency and hang Saddam, saying the former president's "very existence is anti-human."

Saddam's startling call for reconciliation came after he rose during the afternoon session to question the testimony of the witnesses, who told of a mass killing of Iraqi Kurds in the 1987-88 Operation Anfal crackdown on Kurdish guerrillas.

Saddam then calmly spoke about how the Prophet Muhammad and Jesus Christ asked for forgiveness for those who had opposed them.

"I call on all Iraqis, Arabs and Kurds, to forgive, reconcile and shake hands," Saddam said before taking his seat.

Meanwhile, four officials in the Iraqi government and parliament, each in a position to hear about largely secret efforts to reach accord with members of the Sunni insurgency, said al-Douri, Saddam's former vice president, has ordered Baath party bosses still in Iraq to end attacks within the past two days.

The officials, who said they knew about the order independently because of their contacts with members of the insurgency, said the directive was issued through couriers sometime after Saddam was sentenced on Sunday to hang for crimes against humanity. The four answered questions from the AP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information.

It was impossible to verify the statements independently.

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