Chemical Ali to be executed within 30 days

A government adviser said Majid had been sentenced to death for his 
role in his 1980s scorched-earth campaign against Kurds.

Today's approval by Iraq's president, Jalal Talabani, and two vice 
presidents is the final stage in the decision to execute al-Majid.

Majid was one of the three former Saddam officials sentenced to hang 
in June after being convicted of genocide, war crimes and crimes 
against humanity for their part in Operation Anfal. The crackdown 
killed nearly 200,000 Kurdish civilians and guerrillas. An appeals 
court upheld the verdict in September.

The adviser said the president had not yet approved the death 
sentences against the other two – Hussein Rashid Mohammed, an ex-
deputy director of operations for the Iraqi armed forces, and former 
defence minister Sultan Hashim al-Taie.

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2008
Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts)