The Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al- Maliki threatened on Saturday to review ties with the countries which criticized the hanging of the former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

Maliki made the remarks in a speech at a parade marking the 86th anniversary of the Iraqi army, at the monument of the Unknown Soldier built by Saddam in the heavily fortified Green Zone.

"The Iraqi government could be obliged to review its relations with any state that fails to respect the wish of the Iraqi people, " Maliki warned on the occasion of the Army Day.

He explained that Saddam had received a fair trial and that his execution was a"domestic affair" which is for the benefit of Iraq's unity.

"We consider the execution of the dictator an internal affair that concerns only the Iraqi people," Maliki stressed, adding "it was not a political decision as suggested by the enemies of Iraqi people."

Saddam was executed by hanging at dawn on Dec. 30 for crimes in the execution of 148 Shiite civilians from Dujail, north of Baghdad, in the 1980s. His two former aides, Barzan Ibrahim al- Tikriti and Awad Hmed al-Bandar, are expected to be also hanged soon for their role in the execution.

The premier, meanwhile, vowed that his governmental forces backed by the U.S. troops would implement a major offensive to crackdown on outlawed armed groups from all sectarian factions in Baghdad.

"The security plan is ready," Maliki said, adding that "we will depend on our armed forces to carry out this plan and the Multi- National Force will support our forces."

"We will completely reject any interference from any political parties in this plan," he added.

The Iraqi forces backed by U.S. troops will begin a neighborhood-by-neighborhood offensive in Baghdad this weekend to contain Sunni insurgents and Shiite death squads, according to Iraqi officials.

Source: Xinhua