Saddam Hussein's Former Defense Minister Denies Receiving Order To Use Chemical Weapons

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

Saddam Hussein's former defense minister denies receiving order to use chemical weapons

The Associated Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq: Saddam Hussein's former defense minister denied Sunday that he received orders to use chemical weapons during a 1980s military crackdown against Kurds and said he had been offered protection if he surrendered.

The comments by Sultan Hashim Ahmad al-Tai came as the defense began its closing statements in a trial of former regime officials accused of crimes against humanity. The other defendants in the so-called Anfal trial include Saddam's cousin, Ali Hassan al-Majid, also known as "Chemical Ali" for allegedly ordering poison gas attacks against the Kurds. If convicted, the defendants could be sentenced to death by hanging.

Al-Tai, who was defense minister when Saddam was ousted by U.S.-led forces in 2003, was defiant as he testified that he had not received orders from his superiors to use chemical weapons against Kurdish population when he was the head of the Iraqi Army 1st Corps operating in the Kurdish region.

"I did not receive any order asking me to use chemical weapons, but if so I would have implemented it," he told the special tribunal. "I did not receive any chemical related weapons."

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Read more: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/06/africa/ME-GEN-Iraq-Anfal-Trial.php

[Old and In the Way]

1. So, are we prosecuting this guy for using the weapons that we sold him?

What a bizarre universe the Republicans live in.

[Catalyst]

2. It's common knowledge

That the Iraqis under Hussein received their chemical weapons from the USSR. Duh.

[xchrom]

3. that's not entirely correct.

better check out the agreements under poppy and reagan -- and rumsfeld.

but, whatever.

[UNCLE_Rico]

4. Here's some more common knowledge for ya...

When Saddam 'gassed the Kurds', said Kurds happened to be unfortunately living at that time in the middle of a WAR ZONE on the border with Iran. The actual purported target of the attack (at Halabja I believe was the most infamous incident, the one with the largest death count, around 5000 people I think) was the Iranian Military, who were trying to gobble up chunks of Kurdish-Inhabited land on Iraq's periphery.

Once the pictures of the gassing hit the international media, there was a world outcry, and the Democrats, who controlled both houses of the US Congress at the time, responded with outrage as well. Senator Claiborne Pell (D) authored a bill (co-sponsored by one Albert Gore Jr, D-TN) condemning Saddam Hussein and formally ending all subsidies to Iraq (at that time, the military subsidies were cleverly disguised as being agricultural in nature). Pell's act passed Congress easily, the only No votes were from ... right-wing Republicans, of course.

At the time, you see, Iran was the 'bad guy' to St. Ronnie and Poppy Bush, so ... what did they up and do? Well, for starters, for months on end, they went around insisting that it was IRAN who had gassed the Kurds! Common Knowledge, I know, huh, like, DUH, but I just thought I'd remind the scant few who don't remember that little detail!

In fact neither of them have ever publicly admitted being wrong about it even after overwhelming scientific evidence proved it beyond doubt!

Don't get me wrong, the Iranians were using chemical weapons at that same time, against Iraq (and no doubt caught up some innocent people) as well, in fact there's some reason to believe Saddam's was something of a retaliatory chemical attack...but that part, just as everything I'm sharing here, is common knowledge, so, duh, like, I won't go into too much detail about it.

But get this: that's not even the worst part of what St. Ronnie did. The worst part is that he VETOED Senator Pell's bill! And then, dig it man, GUESS WHO then led the valiant fight in the US Congress to make sure the Great President's VETO would stand, and that Mr Saddam Hussein's INFAMOUS "Gassing of the Kurds" went completely UNPUNISHED by the United States of America?

That would be one Mr. Richard "Dick, aka, Go Fuck Yourself" Cheney (R-WY).

So, blame the USSR all ya want, pal, if it makes you feel better, okay? The rest of us around here know which side of the US political spectrum Saddam's chemical weapons bread got buttered by ... and it ain't OURS.

[tanyev]

5. It's common knowledge that this photo was taken after the incident in question.

Sometimes a government has to postpone its feigned outrage until it can be used more advantageously.

[Old and In the Way]

6. You might want to acquaint yourself with the "smilies look-up table"

The link appears just above the subject line on when you compose a message. The sarcasm tag looks like this: :sarcasm:

[LynnTheDem]

7. Actually that's incorrect.

The USA did sell chemical precursors and how-to info to Saddam Hussein.

And that's a fact.

[MasonJar]

8. As I heard the story, we were supplying Saddam against Iran at that

time. Also the chemicals used were allegedly chemicals owned by the Iranians. iraq had chemicals, but different ones.