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Iraq: New Mass graves found in Kurdistan
Region 23.8.2006
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Sulaimaniyah,
Kurdistan-Iraq, August 23, 2006 ,-- Regional
government sources in Iraqi Kurdistan say that two
mass graves have been found in the area of Bashdar,
in the province of Sulaimaniyah.
"The local authorities have been informed of their
existence and have contacted the regional ministry
for human rights asking them to send a team of
experts" the sources said.
They added that "to date three bodies have been
pulled out of the first grave, while the second
grave has been left intact until the arrival of the
ministry experts."
The graves were located close to a military base
used by the forces of Saddam Hussein's regime as an
intelligence bureau for the region.
Regarding the identity of the victims, the sources
believe that they could be detainees of the Iraqi
secret services who were in Kurdistan prior to 1991
when the Iraqi army was expelled from the area under
US pressure during the Gulf War.
The announcement of the deaths Wednesday came as
four Kurdish witnesses gave evidence in a Baghdad
court in the trial of Saddam Hussein for crimes
against humanity, for his role in the al-Anfal
campaign against Iraqi Kurds in 1987-88 in which
more than 180,000 Kurds died.
Seven defendants including Ali Hassan al Majid,
Saddam's cousin, who is known as "Chemical Ali",
face charges of war crimes and/or genocide.
Three women from the village of Balesan on Wednesday
told the court of air attacks in April 1987,
describing the foul smell and the blinding of scores
of villagers, some of whom later died.
"I went for four days without eyesight. My children
could not see. I was just screaming. On the fifth
day I slightly opened my eyes. And it was a terrible
scene. My children and my skin had turned black,"
Adiba Oula Bayez said.
She told the court one of her children had died
after the chemical attack, and she had subsequently
had two miscarriages.
"May God blind them all," she said, pointing at
Saddam Hussein and his co-defendants.
The trial has been adjounred until 11 September.
adnki com
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