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Trial hears Saddam discussing attacks

Tapes played during the genocide trial of Saddam Hussain and his six co-defendants on Monday reveal Saddam and his cousin Hassan Al Majeed discussing how chemical weapons would kill thousands of Kurds.

  • Agencies
  • Published: 00:00 January 8, 2007
  • Gulf News

  • As Al Majeed took his seat in court Monday, he tried to turn on his microphone to speak publicly. The judge quickly shut it off, preventing him from being heard.
  • Image Credit: AP

Tapes played during the genocide trial of Saddam Hussain and his six co-defendants on Monday reveal Saddam and his cousin Hassan Al Majeed discussing how chemical weapons would kill thousands of Kurds.

Saddam was hanged on December 30, in a chaotic execution that has drawn global criticism for the Shiite-dominated government.

The six remaining defendants - all senior members of Saddam's ousted regime - include Al Majeed, known as "Chemical Ali" for his alleged use of chemical weapons against Iraqi Kurds.

On the tapes, which were played to Iraqi officials, a voice identified by prosecutors as belonging to Al Majeed is heard saying: "I will strike them with chemical weapons and kill them all and damn anyone who is going to say anything."

"Yes it's effective, especially on those who don't wear a mask immediately, as we understand," a voice identified as Saddam is heard saying on another tape.

"Sir, does it exterminate thousands?" a voice asks back.

"Yes, it exterminates thousands and forces them not to eat or drink and they will have to evacuate their homes without taking anything with them, until we can finally purge them," the voice identified as Saddam answers.

Prosecutors said 180,000 people were killed in a military campaign codenamed Operation Anfal during the 1980-88 Iraq-Iran war, many of them gassed.

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