Ali Hassan al Majid
"Chemical Ali"
Lieut. Gen. Ali Hasan Al-Majeed [Ali Hassan al Majid], the infamous "Chemical Ali," is Saddam's cousin and was the governor of the south of Iraq.
Coalition aircraft struck the residence of Ali Hassan al-Majid, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's cousin. Two Coalition aircraft using laser-guided munitions struck the home at approximately 9:30 p.m. EST April 4, 2003. The structure is located in Al Basrah, approximately 250 miles southeast of Baghdad.
On April 7, reports from British military sources indicated that the body of Ali Hasan Al-Majeed had been identified. However, following the capture of Majeed's brother and subsequent interviews with him, CENTCOM changed its assessment to reflect this fact and placed Chemical Ali as still being at large.
Al Majid is called Chemical Ali because he decided the best way to solve the Kurdish rebellion was to gas them. He orchestrated the gassing of Kurdish villages carried out by low-flying helicopters with express orders to kill every living thing in the area, including plants and wildlife. This was all part of Operation Anfal, which saw the widespread use of chemical weapons against the Kurds in northern Iraq. International observers estimate Iraqi forces killed 50,000 to 100,000 people during the 1988 campaign known as "Anfal" which means "the spoils."
In March 1988, in the town of Halabja, 5,000 Kurds died writhing in agony and 10,000 were seriously affected when Iraqi jets dropped chemical bombs on the town. Saddam Hussein's chemical weapons attack on Halabja, a predominantly Kurdish city in northeastern Iraq. On March 16, 1988, an estimated 5,000 civilians were killed and 10,000 injured when Iraqi air forces bombarded Halabja with mustard and other poison gases. Over a decade after the massacre, the people of Halabja still suffer from very high rates of serious diseases such as cancer, neurological disorders, birth defects and miscarriages. Saddam Hussein's chemical weapons attack on Halabja was not an isolated incident. It was part of a systematic campaign ordered by Saddam Hussein and led by his cousin, Ali Hassan al-Majid.
Geral Ali Hasan al-Majid "Chemical Ali" was captured by Coalition forces on or about 19 August 2003 and was taken into the custody of Coalition Forces. US CENTCOM announced the capture of al-Majid on Aug 21, 2003.
