Chemical Ali’ and the ‘Pan-Arabism’ devil

‘Chemical Ali’ and the ‘Pan-Arabism’ devil

Ali Hassan al-Majid, a cousin of Saddam’s who is known as Chemical Ali, was sentenced to death for a second time Tuesday for his part in crushing a Shiite uprising in 1991.
Mohammed Oraibi al-Khalifa, a judge for the Iraqi High Tribunal, sentenced Majid and other senior figures from Saddam’s government.
Among them were Abdelghani Abdul Ghafor al-Ani, who headed Saddam’s Baath Party in southern Iraq at the time of the uprising and who also received a death sentence Tuesday. The former defense minister, Sultan Hashim Ahmad al-Tai, received a 15-year prison sentence.
Majid already faces a death sentence for his role in a 1981 crackdown on Kurds in northern Iraq.
Judge Khalifa said Tuesday that Majid was guilty of crimes against humanity.
A lawyer for Majid’s defense team said that they would not be able to comment until after an appeal is filed.
Majid remained calm, but his co-defendant Ani shouted: “I welcome death if it is for Iraq, for pan-Arabism and for the Baath. Down with the American and Persian occupation.”
The judge told Ani to “shut up.” In later remarks to his fellow judges, he was overheard saying: “All the Baathists are this way. Baathists live as Baathists and die as Baathists”.
‘Chemical Ali’ sentenced

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/02/mideast/iraq.php