November 18, 2009
Iraq executed Saddam Hussein's cousin Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as 'Chemical Ali,' for his role in the chemical attack on the Kurdish town of Halabja in 1988.
Baghdad, Iraq | Iraqi government
Ali Hassan al-Majid, widely known as “Chemical Ali,” was not executed on November 18, 2009. He was a prominent Iraqi military commander and a cousin of Saddam Hussein. Al-Majid earned his infamous nickname due to his effective and heinous use of chemical weapons during the Iran-Iraq War and against Iraqi Kurds in the late 1980s, particularly in the genocidal Anfal Campaign.
Al-Majid was eventually convicted for several crimes against humanity, including his leading role in the chemical attack on the Kurdish town of Halabja in 1988, resulting in the deaths of thousands of Kurdish residents. This attack is one of the deadliest uses of chemical weapons against a civilian population.
He was executed on January 25, 2010, after being tried and found guilty by the Iraqi High Tribunal. His execution marked the end of a significant chapter in Iraqi history, as he was one of the last high-profile figures from Saddam Hussein’s regime to face justice for crimes committed during their rule. Al-Majid’s execution underscored the continued efforts of post-Saddam Iraq to hold accountable those responsible for the atrocities of the past.
Source: www.nytimes.com