‘Chemical Ali’ to die

Iraq’s High Tribunal on Sunday condemned “Chemical Ali” and two more of Saddam Hussein’s former henchmen to death for the brutal military campaign against the Kurds in 1988.

The court—set up to try ousted Baathist regime officials convicted five of six defendants for the Anfal campaign in northern Iraq in which 182,000 Kurds were killed and 3,000 villages razed.

Ali Hassan al-Majid, Saddam’s cousin and widely known as Chemical Ali, was sentenced to hang for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and for ordering chemical gas strikes on Kurdish villages in northern Iraq.

He stood before the judge in silence as the verdict was read.

Sultan Hashim al-Tai, a defence minister under executed former president Saddam Hussein, was also condemned to death by hanging.

Chief judge Mohammed al-Oreibi al-Khalifah said Tai was guilty of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity during the Anfal campaign when chemical weapons were used against Kurdish villagers.

Tai, who headed Task Force Anfal, reported directly to Hassan al- Majid.

He appeared calm before the judge, wearing a starched white dishdasha robe and headdress and aviator glasses. “I will not say anything new but I will leave you to God. I’m innocent,” he said as he was led out of the courtroom.

Hussein Rashid al-Tikriti, former armed forces deputy chief of operations, was also sentenced to death. “Thank God, because we defended Iraq and we were not criminals,” Rashid interupted the judge as he was reading out the verdict.

“God bless our martyrs. Long live the brave Iraqi army, long live Iraq, long live the Baath party and long live the Arab nation,” he said.

Farhan al-Juburi, a former military intelligence commander, was sentenced to life in prison for murder, genocide and crimes against humanity by providing intelligence to Majid.

He received an additional 10-year sentence for his role in the deportation of Kurdish civilians.

Sabir al-Duri, a former military intelligence chief, received a life term for murder, genocide, crimes against humanity, and convicted of war crimes by providing Saddam with studies on how to use chemical weapons to maximum effect.

A sixth defendant, Taher al-Ani, a former governor of northern Iraq’s main city of Mosul, was cleared of all charges for lack of evidence.