|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
 |
 |
    |
|
|
|||
 |
|
||
|
|||
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
“Chemical Ali” Back in Court
Fifteen former Iraqi officials, including Ali Hassan “Chemical Ali” al-Majid, are being tried for crimes against humanity for the deaths of as many as 100,000 Shiites reportedly killed when the Hussein regime crushed a 1991 uprising, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, July 16). The rebellion occurred in the wake of the 1991 Gulf War. Despite his loss, then-Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein maintained sufficient weaponry and military forces to kill an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 Shiites. This is the third trial of former Iraqi leaders following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Hussein was hanged in December 2006 after being convicted of ordering 148 residents of Dujail killed after he survived an assassination attempt in the village. Al-Majid was sentenced to death earlier this year following the second trial, for his role in the deaths of tens of thousands of Iraqi Kurds during the Anfal campaign of the 1980s. The former defense minister and Hussein cousin acquired his nickname by ordering use of chemical weapons against the Kurds. The death sentences handed down to al-Majid and two other men — all of whom are being tried in this case — are under appeal; a decision is expected soon, AFP reported. If the death sentences stand, the charges in this case would be dropped and the men would be put to death within 30 days (Jay Deshmukh, Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, Aug. 21).
| ||||||||||
Back to top
