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CW Victim Testifies in Dutch Trial
An Iraqi man whose family was killed in a poison gas attack testified yesterday in the trial of a Dutch businessman accused of selling nerve gas components to deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, Dec. 5). Before Frans van Anraat can be convicted, a Dutch court must determine whether Hussein committed genocide against Kurds in Iraq and Iran. This is the first time someone has stood trial for these attacks, according to AP. Fifteen victims of attacks on five villages testified yesterday, AP reported. “We got into the car and tried to get away, me and my whole family. I lost them all: my mother, father and brothers and sisters. I am the only survivor,” witness Rebas Kadir said in an interview. Kadir, 22, was 4 years old at the time of the incident. A Red Cross worker found Kadir. The gas had burned the boy’s lungs, giving him only one-third of normal capacity. The injuries have prevented him from living a normal life, he said. “It's torture getting up every morning,” he said. “It takes four to five hours to regain my breath, even though I haven't done more than move to my chair. It's almost not worth it.” Kadir said the Dutch businessman “is responsible for delivering the chemicals and therefore is jointly guilty” with Hussein for the deaths. “It is difficult to imagine that he bears such great responsibility for the deaths of so many people,” he said of van Anraat. “I am here for justice, not for money.” Victims who testified yesterday are seeking $11,700 in damages, the maximum amount allowed under Dutch law. If the court rules favorably, each victim would receive $800, according to AP. “None of the victims has ever been compensated. Of course, the true damage is far greater, and this is little more than a symbolic amount,” said Liesbeth Zegveld, the victims’ attorney (Anthony Deutsch, Associated Press/FindLaw.com, Dec. 5).
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