Expert: Spain, Germany Helped Saddam To Bombard Halabja

Madrid, March 16, IRNA – A Spanish journalist, writer and specialist in Middle Eastˈs unveiled that the chemical bombs used by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein during 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war had been made in western countries, especially Spain and Germany. ˈThe bombardment of Halabja was carried out by the Iraqi Baathist regime by utilizing bombs made in Spain, Germany and the former Soviet Union,ˈ Manuel Martorell said, addressing a conference on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Halabja tragedy. He noted that involvement of western countries in Halabja tragic incident was so obvious that even phrases such as ˈmade in Spainˈ and ˈmade in Germanyˈ could be seen on the bombs. ˈThe studies show that the Iraqi government had targeted 400,000 Kurds in about 50 spots inside Iraq,ˈ Martorell said. In response to Iranˈs victorious Operation Valfajr 10 that resulted in liberation of many Kurdish-inhabited regions, including strategic city of Halabja and welcome of the habitants, Iraqi former Baathist regime, in an inhuman action, bombarded Halabja and its neighborhood with chemical bombs, leaving 5,000 dead and some other 7,000 injured. Apart from its negative human and moral aspects, Halabja tragedy adversely affected Iraqi foreign relations so as it even disturbed many of its supporters. Transmission of the tragic scenes of the victims all over the world debilitated the position of Baathist regime of Saddam Hussein and its advocates in the international scene. Gradually and with foreign reporters dispatched to Iran to survey the affected regions, the horrendous dimensions of the calamity was exposed, prompting different reactions. Use of chemical weapons by Iraq was while this country was among 120 signatory states of Geneva Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases. Foreign reflection of Halabja tragedy prolonged for more than one month, but with termination of Iraqi war of cities against Iran and then dispatch of the envoys of the belligerent parties to negotiate with the UN Secretary General, all Iraqi crimes in Halabja were gradually forgotten./end