Reuters: "Chemical Ali" says ordered Kurd villages cleared

[Eugene]

"Chemical Ali" says ordered Kurd villages cleared

44 minutes ago

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein's cousin told a court trying him for genocide
on Thursday that he ordered troops to "execute" all those who ignored government
orders to leave villages during a military operation against Kurds in 1988.

"Yes, I gave my instructions to consider these villages as prohibited areas and
I gave orders to the troops to catch anyone they find there and execute them
after investigating them," Hassan al-Majeed, known as "Chemical Ali" said.

"I'm responsible for the displacing and I took this decision on my own, without
going back to the High Military Command or the Baath Party commander. I say
that before your court and before God," he told the court.

Majeed and five former senior Baath party official are being tried for their roles
in the 1988 Anfal (Spoil of War) military campaign in which prosecutors say up
to 180,000 people were killed, many of them gassed.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070111/wl_nm/iraq_saddam_chemical_dc

[htuttle]

1. Sounds like a 'free fire zone'

...such as the US created in Fallujah.

[Nihil]

6. Gosh!

How un-American of you to remember ...

:hi:

[leesa]

2. What a joke this "trial" is. Will they have a seance to get Saddam's testimony?

Bush should be tried for war crimes for this travesty alone.

[Ian David]

3. Chemical Ali isn't going to play the blame game, but the Kurds were warned...

so, why didn't state and local officials send the buses?

:sarcasm:

[keta11]

4. OK, Be gone, you murderer!!! n/t

[sofa king]

5. If you execute him, The King of Spades will just come back to life.

Pentagon: 'Chemical Ali' Killed in Attack

[pinniped]

7. Ya, I thought he was dead.

WTF is this? Chemical Ali Redux?

Is he the coffee dude? Office assistant? Limo driver?

WTFWTFWTF???