Three Death Sentences for Iraq's Chemical Ali

Ali Hassan al-Majeed receives his third death sentence for his role in killing and terrorizing Shi'ite Muslims in 1999. He was originally convicted in June 2007 for directing the campaign against Iraqi Kurds in the 1980s.

Chemical Ali earned his grim nickname for his prominent role in the use of poison gas against Kurdish villagers in the 1980s, killing thousands. A cousin of the late Saddam Hussein, Ali Hassan al-Majeed has become a spectacle in Iraqi politics and has held significant positions under Saddam's regime - having been both chief of the Iraqi Intelligence Service and the governor of occupied Kuwait during the Gulf War. He was originally convicted in June 2007 for directing the campaign against Iraqi Kurds in the 1980s, and has since been charged with crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide. "The court condemns Ali Hassan al-Majeed to death by hanging for jointly committing premeditated killing, as a crime against humanity," ruled Judge Mohammed al-Uraibi. His third death sentence is as much a reflection of Iraqi political wrangling as it is of his crimes. In December 2008, he was condemned to death for a second time, tied to his role in brutally putting down Shi'ite uprising after the Gulf War. His previous sentences were for masterminding a campaign against Kurds in the 1980s and killing thousands of Shi'ites in a crackdown on their uprising after the 1991 Gulf War.