Tariq Aziz says Iran caused Kurdish deaths, not Iraq

Malaysia Sun Tuesday 6th March, 2007

Former Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq, Tariq Aziz, stunned an Iraqi court Monday saying Iraq did not carry out chemical attacks on Kurds.

Aziz accused Iran of being behind the attacks, saying Iraq did not possess chemical weapons of the type used in the attack which killed 5,600 Kurds at Halabja.

Aziz was appearing as a witness in the trial of six men charged with participating in attacks against Kurds in the 1980s. One of the men is Ali Hassan al-Majid, also known as Chemical Ali.

"The chemical weapons used at that time, causing the deaths of thousands of people, were made with cyanide gas and not mustard gas," Aziz testified. "Iran had this gas at this time, not Iraq," he said. "You can check with experts," he added.

Aziz said further evidence was a Pentagon report he downloaded from the Internet which he referred to as a report from an "Institute affiliated to the U.S. department of defence called 'Seaman' which was published in 1989". He said an article written by Milton Viorst for the New Yorker magazine also supported his claim.

As he gave his evidence Aziz was repeatedly told to "shut up," by the Chief Judge, Mohammed al-Oreibi al-Khalifah.

"Shut up, don't speak," al-Khalifah angrily yelled at one stage of Aziz's testimony.

"Why do you prevent me from speaking?" asked Aziz.

"I will take legal measures against you," responded the judge.

"Why? I am already a prisoner. What would you do to me?" asked Aziz.

"Shut up," the judge responded.

Tariq Aziz was the best known member of Saddam Hussein's regime, outside Saddam himself. The 71 year old speaks excellent English and became known on the world stage as Iraq's foreign minister during the first Gulf War. He was later elevated to the deputy prime ministership, but still travelled the world to deny the existence of weapons of mass destruction in his country.

Four weeks before the March 2003 invasion Aziz, a Christian, had an audience with Pope John Paul II, an outspoken critic of the Iraq war, who, following the meeting, sent a cardinal to Iraq to encourage Saddam Hussein to abide by UN Security Council resolutions.

Aziz surrended to coalition forces four weeks after the invasion in the face of rumors that he had been killed. At the time of his detention he repeated his assertions that Iraq did not possess weapons of mass destruction. U.S. President George W. Bush called him a liar, saying he had been lying for the previous twelve years.

Asked what interrogators had learned from Aziz since he had been taken into custody, Bush said at the time, "We're learning, for example, that Tariq Aziz still doesn't know how to tell the truth. He didn't know how to tell the truth when he was in office, he doesn't know how to tell the truth as a captive," he said.

Bush told reporters he was certain weapons of mass destruction would be found. "Iraq's the size of the state of California. It's got tunnels, caves, all kinds of complexes. We'll find them, and it's just going to be a matter of time before we do so," he said.

Aziz has remained in U.S. custody at a secret location since his April 2003 surrender. He is now 71 years of age and is in poor health. He has not been charged with any offence.

In Monday's testimony Aziz was openly supportive of Saddam Hussein, describing him as a patriot, and a hero to Iraq, saying he brought unity and sovereignty to the country.

Aziz caused a stir when he testified in the trial of Saddam Hussein last year. He said government officials including Saddam were being tried for events that took place 20 years ago by current government officials who themselves were involved in acts of violence and sabotage in the 1980s. He referred to an assassination attempt on himself at a Baghdad university in 1980 when a hand grenade was thrown at him. A number of people were killed in the attack.

Aziz is well known in America and has been the major facilitator of talks and relations between the two for more than two decades. In 1984, he flew to Washington to meet with President Reagan, Vice President Bush (Senior) and other high-ranking U.S. officials, including then Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, to formalise relations with the U.S.

In his evidence on Monday Aziz said he met with Kurdish leaders including the present President of Iraq, Jalal Talabani, in 1991, and there was no reference to any chemical attacks.

"They only asked for compensations for the villages that were damaged during the war between Iraq and Iran," he said.

The Iraqi chief prosecutor, Munqith Al Faroon, countered by saying that mass graves had not yet been uncovered when that meeting took place.