Ali Hassan al-Majid or better known as “Chemical Ali,” was executed today, January 25, after receiving his fourth death sentence for crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide. The 65-year old Iraq’s Defense Minister was sentenced to death for the fourth time on January 17 and was hanged on Monday for ordering the 1988 poison gas attack that killed more than 5,000 Iraqi Kurds. The use of chemical weapons in attacks against Kurds earned him the title of “Chemical Ali.”
He headed the 1988 poison gas attack which is a part of Al-Anfal campaign, a campaign against Kurdish rebels led by the Iraqi regime of Hussein. It is considered to be the worst poison gas attack against civilians and made him the fifth most-wanted man in Iraq.
Al-Majid is the first cousin of former Iraq president, Saddam Hussein. He was appointed as Defense Minister but in 1995 Hussein discovered that he was involved in illegal smuggling in Iran and because of that he was dismissed from his position. Hussein reappointed him again in 2003 during the Iraq War. United States and United Kingdom attacked Iraq and although he survived from that attack, he was arrested by U.S. Armed Forces on August 17, 2003. In the year 2006, he was handed over to the Iraqi government for trial. He was then charged with four death sentences.
PHOTO CREDIT: gdb.rferl.org
Topics: Al-Anfal campaign, Ali Hassan al-Majid, Chemical Ali, executed, Iraq, news, Saddam Hussein, U.S., United Kingdom, United States, war
