Ali Hassan al-Majid (born 1941), a first cousin of former President Saddam Hussein, was the Defense Minister of Iraq. He has been called Chemical Ali and the Butcher of Kurdistan for his role in leading the al-Anfal Campaign during which he is said to have ordered a toxic gas attack on the Kurdish town of Halabja that killed thousands of Kurds (see Halabja poison gas attack). He also oversaw the occupation of Kuwait in 1990 and 1991 and served as the country's military governor from August to November of 1990. He had a lead role in violently repressing the rebelions by Kurds and Shiites, encouraged by US vocal support, following the Gulf War.

Considered a war criminal by human rights groups, he was placed by Saddam Hussein in charge of southern Iraq to quell any civilian uprisings. [1] "He is a senior adviser to Saddam. He is known as an enforcer for the regime," said a U.S. intelligence official, who asked not to be named. "He is used to put down uprisings and maintain order." [2]. In this role in which he took the title 'Commander of the Southern Region' he violently repressed a 1999 revolt against Saddam's regime which, according to a recent Human Rights Watch report, resulted in the death of hundreds of young Shiite men and their burial in mass graves around Basra. [3]

Al-Majid had been mistakenly thought to have died in April of 2003, following the US-led 2003 Invasion of Iraq. After a coalition attack on his house in Basra, he was reported to have been killed by laser-guided bombs. "Major Andrew Jackson, of the 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment, said that the body was found along with that of his bodyguard and the head of Iraqi intelligence services in Basra." [4]

It turned out that U.K. military officials spoke too soon. In June 2003, al-Majid's status was changed from "...believed dead but unconfirmed" to "unknown" by U.S. defense officials, saying he might still be alive after all. He was rumored to have been joking and smiling in a Baghdad hospital on the day that it fell. This proved to be a justified doubt - U.S. officials confirmed on August 21, 2003 that he had been captured alive. He was prominent (fifth) on the U.S. list of most-wanted Iraqis and is the King of Spades in the deck of most-wanted Iraqi playing cards.

Al-Majid will stand trial for his role in many of the above mentioned actions before the Iraq Special Tribunal (IST), set up by the Iraq Interim Government charged with crimes against humanity and genocide.

See also

• Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf

External links

• 'Chemical Ali' in U.S. custody, CNN, August 21, 2003
• Iraq's 'Chemical Ali' may be alive, CNN, June 5, 2003
• Saddam ready to kill Iraqis By Rowan Scarborough of The Washington Times
• Chemical Ali found dead
• Body of Chemical Ali found, say British forces - Guardian Unlimited - April 7, 2003