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Iraq-Jordan
Former Saddam Aide Tariq Aziz Testifies
2005-06-22
Tariq Aziz, Iraq's foreign minister under Saddam Hussein, was questioned Tuesday about his alleged role in mass killings prior to the regime's ouster, his lawyer said. The four-hour questioning session by a special war crimes tribunal focused on the 1987-88 Anfal campaign, a depopulation scheme in which hundreds of thousands of Kurds were killed or expelled from northern Iraq on Saddam's orders, said Badee Izzat Aref, Aziz's lawyer.

Aziz has been jailed since he surrendered in April 2003. "He denied all the charges and he was very calm and told them that there was no evidence for these accusations," Aref told The Associated Press. The lawyer's comments broke a gag order he had signed earlier with the Iraqi Special Tribunal, but he called the order an "illegal request" and said he planned to challenge it. Aziz, 69, referred to Saddam as "president" and "fearless leader Saddam Hussein" during his testimony, Aref said, adding that the panel also called in Saddam's former vice president, Taha Yasin Ramadan, moments before Aziz entered. Ramadan refused to answer questions because his lawyer was not present, Aref said.
Posted by:Fred

#5  With an open insurgency or terrorist movement they are likely afraid that first to talk looses their family....
Posted by: 3dc   2005-06-22 15:51  

#4  Someone needs to point out to these guys that the first one to cut a deal gets to live.
Posted by: Steve   2005-06-22 15:22  

#3   no evidence for these accusations

except for that pesky aspect of all of those dead bodies...but other than that.
Posted by: 2b   2005-06-22 07:34  

#2  Lol, PBMcL! That's solid logic!
Posted by: .com   2005-06-22 02:29  

#1  "...because his lawyer was not present..."

Just arrest the lawyer and produce him as needed. Problem solved.
Posted by: PBMcL   2005-06-22 01:08  

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