Ali Hassan al-Majid, or "Chemical Ali", is a first cousin of former Iraqi Dictator Saddam Huessein. He was in charge of organizing and carrying out Chemical Weapons attacks on the ethnic Kurds of Northern Iraq.

Biography

He is the paternal cousin of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein who was appointed Governor of Northern Iraq in 1987 when he began the Anful Campaign (see the history section of the Chemical Weapons page). After Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, Ali was appointed Governor of Kuwait and later made interior minister of Iraq in 1991 (BBC, 2003).

He was arrested in 2003 and was sentenced to death on June 24, 2007 (BBC, 2007).

Current Events

January 11, 2007
Update on the trial of Chemical Ali in Baghdad from the [Associated Press]

November 3, 2006

The Guardian article on Ali and other rulers who are able to get away with genocide.

External Links

• Ali Hassan on Human Rights Watch
  
  

References

Tucker, Jonathon. War of Nerves: Chemical Warfare From World War I to Al-Qaeda. Pantheon Books, 2006.


"Profile: Chemical Ali". The BBC, August 21, 2003. Accessed 1-22-07.


BBC News. "'Chemical Ali' Sentenced to Hang". June 24, 2007. Accessed 7-12-07.