Saddam's lawyer blames Iran for killings

[FishForLunch]

Wasn't me:
July 12, 2005 - 8:07PM

Iran, and not Saddam Hussein, was responsible for the killing of tens of thousands of Kurds and Shi'ites, a lawyer for the deposed Iraqi dictator said in comments published on Tuesday.

Issam Ghazzawi, who is part of Saddam's defence team, told the daily Die Presse that "Iran is responsible for the murders of the Kurds" killed by poison gas in 1988.

"Iraq did not possess poison gas at this time," the lawyer was quoted as saying.

Iran also was responsible for the mass killings of Shi'ites who rose against Saddam in 1991, Ghazzawi reportedly said.

More than 100,000 Kurds were estimated to have been killed by Saddam's troops in 1988, including about 5000 who were gassed to death in the Kurd city of Halabja and 8000 members of a powerful clan who were reportedly rounded up and shot.

Up to 100,000 Shi'ites were killed, along with tens of thousands of Kurds, when Saddam moved to stamp out a rebellion after the first Gulf War in 1991.

AP

[u2sarajevo]

More proof that the US had no business in removing Saddam from power. The travesty. All this time it was Iran.

[dude1394]

We should confess the mess-up. Release sadaam and got get the mullahs. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[mavsman55]

Nuh-uh! It wasn't me! It was Iran! They did it!