Baghdad: An Iraqi court on Thursday sentenced the Sunni leader of a government-allied paramilitary group to death for murder and kidnapping in a case that highlighted tensions over the treatment of former insurgents who turned against Al Qaida.

The ruling against Adel Al Mashhadani coincided with political uncertainty in Iraq, as lawmakers planned to vote today on how to break a deadlock over an election law after a vice president vetoed it. The crisis could delay a national vote planned for January and affect the timetable for a US troop withdrawal.

The sentence and the veto dispute, though not directly linked, reflect the challenges of reconciliation in a nation where ethnic and sectarian factions remain suspicious of each other after years of bloodshed.

Al Mashhadani's arrest in March set off a two-day battle in Baghdad pitting US and forces of Iraq's Shiite-led government against Al Mashhadani's group, which comprised Sunni Arabs who abandoned the insurgency and joined the Americans in the fight against Al Qaida. At least four people died.

Appeal

Justice Ministry spokesman Abdul Sattar Bayrkdar said Al Mashhadani, who operated in the capital's hardscrabble Fadhil neighbourhood, can appeal the sentence. Some of his crimes are believed to have occurred after he left the insurgency, and local residents said his followers routinely extorted money.

But the harsh punishment angered one Sunni lawmaker.

"Regrettably, the Iraqi law is being used by the government as a tool to settle old scores with the people who helped to stabilise the country," said legislator Mustafa Al Hiti. "The government should be aware that such actions will not help enhance security and the political process ahead of the coming elections."

The Sunni Arab minority dominated Iraq until a US-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussain in 2003, and boycotted elections in January 2005 ahead of the run-up to the most vicious sectarian violence of the war.

Awakening Council groups such as the one run by Al Mashhadani were instrumental in reducing the potency of Al Qaida in Iraq, but US-backed efforts to incorporate the groups into government programmes have had mixed success.

Some Sunni militia leaders had suspected the government was more interested in revenge than reconciliation, and there were tough questions about whether former insurgents should face charges or be exonerated if they fought against Al Qaida.

Amnesty law

An amnesty law adopted last year allows officials to clear the slate for some past offences, but does not cover allegations such as terrorism, kidnapping and rape.

Iraq's fractious parliament, meanwhile, was looking at two options — sending the same election law back to the three-member presidency council, where it is likely to be vetoed again — or amending the law to address the concerns of Vice President Tarek Al Hashemi.

Under the constitution, parliament can override a second veto with a three-fifths majority, thereby passing a law seen as vital to Iraq's ability to move toward full sovereignty and political stability after years of bloodshed.

Al Hashemi, a Sunni Arab, wants the law to allocate more seats to Iraqis living abroad, many of whom are Sunnis who fled the war.