Good Noose, Perhaps?

Iraqi Judge: Execution Set for Chemical Ali

Monday, October 15, 2007

BAGHDAD — Ali Hassan Majeed, known as "Chemical Ali," is set to be executed on Tuesday for his role in the deaths of up to 180,000 Kurds, an Iraqi judge said Monday.

Munir Hadad, a senior judge of the Supreme Criminal Court, said the execution could take place anytime after 5:00 a.m. local time.

Majeed and two other lieutenants of Saddam Hussein were convicted in June of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for their role in the brutal crackdown known as Operation Anfal, in which as many as 180,000 Kurdish civilians and guerrillas were killed two decades ago.

Majeed, a cousin of Saddam who was once among the most powerful and feared men in Iraq, ordered the use of mustard gas and nerve agents against the Kurds, who had allegedly collaborated with during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

In September the Iraqi High Tribunal upheld his death sentence in a majority decision, as well as those of former Defense Minister Sultan Hashem Ahmed and Hussein Rasheed Mohammed, former deputy director of operations for the Iraqi armed forces.

Under Iraqi law, a deadline to execute Majeed passed last week, but the government delayed the execution because of the Ramadan holiday.