|
'Chemical Ali' says he will not apologize
for chemical attack on Kurds
24.1.2007 |
|
|
|
Saddam Hussein's cousin
refuses to apologize for massacre
BAGHDAD, January 24,-- Saddam Hussein's cousin
told a court Wednesday that he does not regret any
decision he made while crushing a Kurdish uprising
nearly two decades ago, adding that the government's
campaign didn't target Kurds because of their
ethnicity.
Ali Hassan al-Majid, also known as "Chemical Ali"
for his alleged use of chemical weapons against
Kurds, said the aim was to put an end to a Kurdish
insurgency in Kurdistan (northern Iraq).
"If I have committed any wrongdoing against any
Iraqi, then I am ready to apologize to him," al-Majid
said. "If you asked me why have you done this, my
answer is that we were compelled to do so to stop
the shedding of Iraqi blood that was running for
more than 25 years."
Al-Majid is one of six defendants who still face
charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity
stemming from the Anfal military campaign during the
1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war. More than 182,000 Kurds
were killed.
Saddam was among the defendants until he was
executed for crimes against humanity on Dec. 30
after he was sentenced to death in the killing of
148 Shiite Muslims following an assassination
attempt against him in 1982.
Al-Majid, wearing a red-and-white traditional Arab
head dress, said the government was targeting rebels
- not Kurds on the basis of their ethnicity.
Saddam's regime was dominated by minority Sunnis at
the expense of Shiites and Kurds. |
Ali Hassan al-Majeed, Saddam cousin, also known as
"Chemical Ali" for his alleged use of chemical
weapons against Kurds
Chemical attack on Kurdish Halabja city in Kurdistan
(Northern Iraq) |
|
During Wednesday's session, the prosecution showed
several documents, including one that was dated in
March but did not give a year. It said Iraqi
warplanes bombed "some of the saboteurs'
headquarters in (Kurdish) Saway village and a
chemical strike was launched that led to the killing
of 50 saboteurs and wounding of 30."
Speaking about the documents, al-Majid said "all
decisions I took were for a reason," which was to
end the bloodshed caused by the Kurdish rebellion.
Offering no apology, he said "I am not defending
myself and it is not an apology because I have
committed no mistake that I need to apologize for."
Al-Majid said the government attacked the Kurds
because they were cooperating with the "Iranian
enemy, with which we were at war." The Iran-Iraq war
left 1 million people killed on both sides.
"It is not part of our ideology or policy to be
against an ethnic group," he said.
The trial was adjourned until Sunday.
AP
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
® 