◆ SpookStack

1631-HQ-1462938 In welcoming HASSAN ALI AL-AMIRI (hereinafter AL- AMIRI) as his successor ag Secretary General of the Northern Bureau on April 15, 1989, AL-MAJID discussed the reduction of powers associated with this position and the disposition of people in the prohibited areas: It will no longer be allowed for a member of the leadership to have power over the army, because the exceptional situation is over. These powers are not being withdrawn from Comrade Hassan Ali because he is not up to the task, but because that stage is now finished. From June 22 (1987), anyone who was arrested in those areas was to be killed immediately without any hesitation, according to the directives which are still in force. RCC Decree #272, dated April 23, 1989, amended RCC Decree #160 and ended AL-MAJID'S extraordinary powers. This document is referenced on page 65 of the HRW report dated February, 1994, HALABJA TARIQ AZIZ admitted during an interview that the first confirmed use of chemical weapons against a civilian population, anywhere in the world, occurred at Halabja, Iraq, in March, 1988. Although he agreed with speculation that the weapons may have Iranians. AZIZ stated that he learned more about the attack after watching a film on Halabja produced by the media which showed "a few corpses" of men, women, and children who died as a result of the attack. AZIZ claimed not to know how many people were killed during the attack. After the attack, HUSSEIN admitted to AZIZ that chemical weapons had been used at Halabja. At the beginning of the Iran-Iraq War, only HUSSEIN held the authority to order the use of chemical weapons. KHAIRALLAH and KHAZRAJI asked for and received this power from HUSSEIN during the war. However, in early 1988, HUSSEIN withdrew this authority from them. KHATRALLAH told HUSSEIN this would "weaken" the military's ability and his power to act decisively and quickly. Thereafter, HUSSEIN returned the authority to order the uge of chemical 62