Saddam's Kurdish genocide trial resumes

Saddam Hussein’s trial on genocide charges against the Kurds resumed in Iraq today after an 11-day break.

The Baghdad court was expected to hear more witnesses against the former Iraqi president and six other co-defendants, who have pleaded not guilty to charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for their alleged roles in a military offensive against the Kurds, codenamed Operation Anfal.

The prosecution estimates that 180,000 Kurds were killed in 1987-88 when Saddam’s army waged a scorched-earth campaign against Kurdish separatist guerrillas, allegedly destroying hundreds of villages, killing or forcing their residents to flee.

Saddam and one other defendant have denied the additional charge of genocide.

If convicted, all the accused could be condemned to death.

Saddam has already been condemned to death in a separate trial where he was convicted of ordering the execution of 148 Iraqis, including children, after an attempt to assassinate him in the town of Dujail in 1982.

Early this month, his lawyers appealed against the other trial’s verdict and sentence. The appeal court is expected to rule in early January.

Iraqi officials have suggested that Saddam’s prosecution on genocide charges would be halted if the appeals court upholds the death sentence of the first trial.

Iraqi prime minister Nouri Maliki said he hoped it would only be a matter of days before an appeals court ruled on Saddam’s death sentence.