Saddam Hussein's cousin Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as 'Chemical Ali', has been sentenced to hang. - AP

BAGHDAD (AP):

Saddam Hussein's cousin and two other former regime officials were convicted yesterday of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity and sentenced to hang for the brutal crackdown that killed up to 180,000 Kurdish civilians and guerrillas two decades ago.

Two other defendants were sentenced to life in prison for their roles in the 1987-1988 crackdown, known as Operation Anfal. A sixth defendant was acquitted for lack of evidence. Death sentences are automatically appealed.

The most notorious defendant was Saddam's cousin Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as 'Chemical Ali', for ordering the use of mustard gas and nerve agents against the Kurds, who had allegedly collaborated with the Iranians during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War.

Iraq's most powerful man

Al-Majid, once among the most powerful and feared men in Iraq, stood trembling in silence as Judge Mohammed Oreibi al-Khalifa read the verdict against him and imposed five death sentences.

"You had all the civil and military authority for northern Iraq," al-Khalifa said. "You gave the orders to the troops to kill Kurdish civilians and put them in severe conditions. You subjected them to wide and systematic attacks using chemical weapons and artillery. You led the killing of Iraqi villagers. You restricted them in their areas, burned their orchards, killed their animals. You committed genocide."

Al-Majid said "thanks be to God" as he was led from the courtroom.

Also sentenced to death were former Defence Minister Sultan Hashim Ahmad al-Tai, who led the Iraqi delegation at the ceasefire talks that ended the 1991 Gulf War, and Hussein Rashid Mohammed, a former deputy director of operations for the Iraqi armed forces.

Mohammed interrupted the judge as the verdict was being read, insistingthe defendants were defending Iraq from Kurdish rebels who collaborated with Iran.

"God bless our martyrs. Long live the brave Iraqi army. Long live Iraq. Long live the Baath party and long live Arab nations," he said.

Al-Tai insisted he was innocent, telling the judge "I will leave you to God" as he was led away from the court.

Farhan Mutlaq Saleh, former deputy director of operations for the armed forces, and Sabir al-Douri, former director of military intelligence, were sentenced to life in prison. Taher Tawfiq al-Ani, former governor of Mosul, was acquitted.

Kurds in Iraq's now largely autonomous Kurdish region, who have long sought justice over Anfal, celebrated the outcome but also recalled their suffering. But amid feelings of justice being served on Chemical Ali, fresh, painful memories live on.

Painful memories

"How can I forget what happened? If I forget, my name reminds me of everything," said Ifa Ismail, 19, in Kurdistan's capital of Arbil.

Narkez Aziz, 52, another resident of Arbil, lost her husband, a son and her brother-in-law in the Anfal campaign after they were forced from their village into a detention camp.

"I cannot forget the picture of my brother-in-law. He died in detention and then the soldiers threw his body outside the camp. Dogs ate his body," she said.

Despite's yesterday's verdicts, Aziz is still looking for justice, saying many Kurds collaborated with Saddam's forces and have not been brought to trial.

"I did not see Ali Hassan al-Majeed or Saddam Hussein when I was tortured. They were a mixture of Kurds and Arabs. I want them to be tried too," she said.