Hundreds of thousands of Shiites descended on the holy city of Karbala yesterday to mark the birth of one of their most-revered saints, assembling to honor Imam Mohammed al-Mahdi in defiance of a declaration of war by the country's Sunni-dominated insurgency.

　　The gathering took place as suicide bombings claimed 21 more lives elsewhere in the country.

　　In Baghdad, the government announced that one of Saddam Hussein's nephews was sentenced to life in prison for funding the violent insurgency and bomb-making, and would stand trial on other charges.

　　Despite fears of insurgent attacks, Karabala was calm. But violence erupted further south where British troops exchanged gunfire with demonstrators in Basra, Iraq's second largest city. The clash broke out after Iraqi police arrested two Britons for allegedly killing a one policeman and wounding a second.

　　Authorities in Karbala said they had uncovered a cache of explosives and arrested four insurgents for allegedly planning to attack pilgrims attending festivities marking the birthday of the 12th Shiite imam, Mohammed al-Mahdi.

　　Just days before yesterday's celebration, al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, declared an all-out war on Shiites and others deemed to be American collaborators. But Iraqi Vice President Adil Abdul-Mahdi said yesterday that such threats would only "strengthen the defiance" of Iraqis.

　　Abdul-Mahdi said the Shiite pilgrims in Karbala were the "biggest (example of) defiance in the face of threats by al-Zarqawi."

　　The explosives cache found near Karbala was discovered late on Sunday on farm land near the city, said police spokesman Rahman Mishawi, who announced the arrest of three "non-Iraqi Arabs" and a man armed with several hand grenades who was caught walking with a procession of pilgrims.

　　Officials said they expected more than 2 1/2 million people to gather for the celebration marking Imam al-Mahdi's birth in 868 AD, far more than in any previous year.

　　According to Shiite tradition, the saint inexplicably vanished but will return before Judgment Day leading the faithful in a battle for a just Islamic state.

　　In Baghdad, the Iraqi government announced that Ayman Sabawi, had been "sentenced to life in prison for funding militants and possessing and manufacturing roadside bombs."

　　Sabawi, the son of Saddam's half brother Sabawi Ibrahim al-Hassan, who served as a presidential adviser before the US-led invasion, was captured in early May. But authorities had not announced that his trial was under way.

　　The Iraqi Central Criminal Court in Baghdad said Sabawi would face a second trial - beginning on November 1 - for other, unspecified additional crimes to which he allegedly confessed during pretrial interrogation.

　　Since last Wednesday, when 14 suicide bombs exploded in Baghdad in the bloodiest day in the capital since the war began, a staggering wave of insurgent violence has killed at least 250 people and wounded hundreds more nationwide.

　　Sunday night, a suicide car bomber struck a joint American-Iraqi patrol near Taji, 20 kilometers north of Baghdad, detonating his vehicle and killing 14 Iraqi soldiers.

　　Another suicide bomber blew himself up near an Iraqi police commando patrol yesterday afternoon, killing five policemen and two civilians, and wounding another 13 other officers and bystanders.

　　(The Associated Press)