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Iraqi tribunal questions Saddam aide Tareq
Aziz
28.6.2005
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Tariq Aziz -
27.June.2005
Photo : Reuters
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BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Tareq Aziz, Saddam Hussein's
former deputy prime minister, has appeared before
Iraq's special tribunal as it steps up the process
of questioning former regime loyalists about war
crimes, officials said on Monday.
The tribunal released film showing Aziz, looking
relaxed in a white prison robe, responding to
questions about an exchange of letters he had with
Saddam's office over a written question from the
United Nations about the killing of Kurds in 1991.
``I had no authority then,'' Aziz told the
prosecutor, explaining why he had not provided the
statistics requested.
Several other officials were also questioned,
including Saddam's cousin Ali Hassan al-Majid, known
as Chemical Ali, who appeared before a judge for the
second time in two weeks.
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In
the tribunal footage Majid, who wore a traditional
Arab head-dress and look old and tired, examined
documents shown to him by the court.
Two of Saddam's half-brothers, Watban and Barzan al-Hassan,
were among six other officials questioned last week,
the tribunal said in an earlier statement.
The Iraqi government wants to put Saddam and other
officials on trial as soon as possible. Saddam
himself was questioned two weeks ago. Officials with
the Tribunal, set up 18 months ago, say the process
cannot be rushed and no trial date has been set.
It was not clear when Aziz was questioned but his
lawyer Badea Aref, who was present during the
questioning, said that it happened on June 21.
``The prosecutor was impolite to Mr. Aziz and he
even told him: 'You are a criminal'. This angered
Mr. Aziz and me and we had heated argument with
him,'' he told Reuters.
``It is not acceptable and I am filing a complaint
asking for the prosecutor to respect the
defendant.''
Aziz, a rare Christian among the top Baath Party
leadership and often considered number two in the
leadership, is alleged to have been involved in
several party purges in the 1970s and 80s during
which an unspecified number of people died.
A fluent English speaker, he was the face of
Saddam's regime in foreign capitals and at the
United Nations.
Majid was questioned with two other officials about
using chemical weapons in 1988 and dropping poison
gas on Kurdish villagers in a military operation
called Anfal.
Also questioned on the same accusations two weeks
ago were Taha Yassin Ramadan, Saddam's former
vice-president, and Saadoun Shaker, interior
minister early in Saddam's rule, who was also asked
about the killing of Shi'ite villagers in 1982.
The killings in Dujail -- more than 140 villagers
were killed after a failed assassination attempt on
Saddam as his motorcade passed through the village
-- may be key to an early trial of Saddam, who was
questioned about the incident himself.
Reuters
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