Updated

In spite of Saddam's insisting this trial was a farce, he was, none the less, shaken by the verdict:

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A visibly shaken Saddam Hussein was found guilty of crimes against humanity on Sunday and sentenced to hang by the U.S.-sponsored court that has been trying him in Baghdad for the past year.

Two other senior aides, including his half-brother Barzan al-Tikriti, will also hang if automatic appeals fail in the coming months. His vice-president was jailed for life and three minor officials of his Baath party were sentenced to 15 years.

Shortly after the verdict was read out at noon (0900 GMT) in a heavily fortified Baghdad courtroom that was once a Baath party office, clashes broke out between gunmen and U.S. and Iraqi troops in two Sunni Muslim neighborhoods of the capital.

By contrast Shi'ites, the majority now in power, poured into the streets, dancing and yelling in joy that the Sunni Arab who oppressed them for three decades is now likely to be executed.

The White House reacts:

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - The White House called the verdict handed down to former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on Sunday a good day for Iraqis.

"It's a good day for the Iraqi people," White House spokesman Tony Snow said.

Omar at Iraq the Model writes his thoughts:

Now, Saddam is officially going down the toilet!

Mohammad from Iraq the Model recorded his reaction on the verdict very eloquently at Pajamas Media:

I was overwhelmed with joy and relief as I watched the criminals being read their verdicts. For the first time in our region tyrants are being punished for their crimes through a court of law.

Until this moment and while I'm typing these words I'm still receiving words of congratulations in emails, phone calls and text messages from friends inside and outside the country. These were our only means to share our happiness because of the curfew that limits our movement.

This is the day for Saddam's lovers to weep and I expect their shock and grieve to be huge. They had always thought their master was immortal so let them live in their disappointment while we live for our future.

This is a day not only for Iraqis but a historic day for the whole region; today new basis for dealing between rulers and peoples are found.

No one is above the law anymore.

I was particularly pleased by the way Judge Raouf Rasheed handled the session; he was reading the court's decision and at the same time chastising members of the current government for their misbehavior and threatened to throw them in custody regardless of their ranks!

We are living a new era where there's much hope despite the difficulties...our sacrifices have a noble cause, that is to build a new model that obviously terrifies other tyrants.

I believe it wasn't Saddam alone who was shaking and shouting in hysteria when the verdict was read; I can see hysteria takes over all of Saddam's followers and apologists.

Today we had turned a page that was full of pain and ugly crimes that were committed by the same criminals who were shaking in the hands of Iraq's new justice.

[snip]

I salute the honorable special tribunal that challenged threats and risks and insisted on keeping up the work until the end, and today it brought back the pride of the land that wrote the world's first laws.

I salute the witnesses who risked their lives to reveal the truth and expose the crimes of the dictator.

I salute the brave men and women of the coalition who came to this land and made this day possible.

Congratulations to all my Iraqi brothers and sisters on this glorious day.

Update: Watch the video of Saddam being sentenced.