Iraq's Kurdish population yesterday observed the 20th anniversary of chemical weapons attacks that occurred during the Saddam Hussein regime campaign that killed 180,000 Kurds, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, March 6).
In Halabja, where roughly 5,000 villagers died in the March 16, 1988, poison gas attacks, surviving victims and their families again demanded reparations and the execution of officials who helped carry out the killings. Mourners also held events in Baghdad and the Kurdish stronghold of Arbil.
Iraq's three-member presidency council in February approved the long-delayed hanging of former Iraqi official Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as "Chemical Ali" for ordering the use of chemical weapons against Iraqi Kurds, but the government has not yet announced a date for the execution. The execution is being held up by the debate over the fate of two other former regime officials.
"My three brothers and parents died in the attacks. I am the only survivor from my family," said 50-year-old Suad Hassan. "We want compensation and we also demand that Ali Hassan al-Majid be executed in Halabja."
Mourners also called for the punishment of firms that supplied chemical weapons to the Iraqi regime (see GSN, Feb. 6).
"My nine children died in the attacks. I had six daughters and three sons. We want the company which supplied the gas to be prosecuted," said 75-year-old Ahmed Abdallah.
Iraqi leaders intend to push for compensation from companies and nations that helped former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein acquire chemical weapons, government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement.
"We are also approaching the United Nations to declare March 16 as an international day against chemical arms," he said.
Halabja residents on Friday held funeral proceedings for Ismail Abdallah Rashid, who was 40. He was among the dozens of residents who continued to suffer effects from chemical exposure, AFP reported.
"Ismail had been helping bury the victims of the gas attacks on Halabja when he himself was poisoned by the chemicals. He died on Friday," said Luqman Mohammed, a founder of the Halabja Victims' Society (Shwan Mohammed, Agence France-Presse/Google News, March 16).