The trial of Chemical Ali
Reuters:
This case is a good starting point. The evidence is rather straight forward that Ali was the commander who directed the chemical weapon attack on the Kurds. If he defends himself by saying that he was following Saddam's orders and acting on behalf of the state, it will help make the case against Saddam.
Reuters:
Ali Hassan al-Majid, one of Saddam Hussein's most feared deputies, better known as "Chemical Ali," will be the first leader of the former regime to be tried for war crimes, Iraq's defense minister said on Wednesday.The trial could begin as early as next week, Defense Minister Hazim al-Shaalan told reporters through an interpreter, and would certainly start by the middle of January -- days before Iraq is due to hold its first post-Saddam election.
"In the next few days we will have the trial of Ali Hassan al-Majid, one of the close followers of Saddam Hussein," Shaalan announced. "He will be the first to be tried."
...
Majid, a cousin of Saddam who is accused of some of the worst crimes of the old regime, including the gassing of up to 5,000 Kurds in northern Iraq in the late 1980s, is the only one of Saddam's deputies so far set for trial, Shaalan said.
This case is a good starting point. The evidence is rather straight forward that Ali was the commander who directed the chemical weapon attack on the Kurds. If he defends himself by saying that he was following Saddam's orders and acting on behalf of the state, it will help make the case against Saddam.
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