TONY Blair has made it clear that Iraq must be allowed to decide the fate of Saddam Hussein. As a newly-established sovereign nation, the country which suffered so terribly at the hands of Saddam must be seen by the world to be in charge of his destiny.

His trial for war crimes must be transparent, considered and thorough, in stark contrast to the brutal form of justice so favoured by his uncompromising regime.

But for all the blood on Saddam's hands - and of that there is no doubt - it is to be hoped that the death sentence can be avoided.

Without the proof of weapons of mass destruction, the only real justification for the war against Iraq is the removal of an evil dictator who brought terror to his country.

And there will be no lack of support for the execution of a man who remained defiant in court yesterday as he faced charges of taking countless innocent lives and leaving so many others in despair.

But the arduous process of ousting Saddam in favour of a democratically-elected government must be accompanied by a strong message: that the barbarism of the past has been replaced by a more humane society; that the world is a better place.

Iraq must have the final say. It has been damaged to the core by Saddam and it must judge what his punishment should be.

But the international community, with Britain playing a leading role, must do everything it can behind the scenes to ensure that the outcome is not another killing.