'Chemical Ali' Will Hang

Court confirms death sentence for genocide and crimes against humanity
By Sam Gale Rosen,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 4, 2007 8:36 AM CDT
'Chemical Ali' Will Hang
Rubbar Mohammed visits the grave of her family members who were killed in a chemical attack by Saddam Hussein's forces in 1998, in Halabja, Iraq, Sunday, June 24, 2007 . Ali Hassan al-Majid, also known as Chemical Ali, Saddam Hussein's cousin and the former head of the Baath Party's Northern Bureau...   (Associated Press)

An Iraqi court confirmed a death sentence today for "Chemical Ali," who was condemned to hang in June for genocide and crimes against humanity. Ali Hassan al-Majid and two other top lieutenants to Saddam Hussein were found guilty of the killing of thousands of Kurds in the Anfal campaign of 1988 through bombings, deportations, and gas attacks, the AP reports.

The three will hang within 30 days. Majid said only "Thanks be to God" in court today and was defiant during his trial: "I am not defending myself. I am not apologizing. I did not make a mistake," he said. A plan to hang him in Kurdistan was dropped to avoid making the sentence appear to be a revenge killing. (More Chemical Ali stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X