The use of the chemical arms in Kurdistan

The Geneva protocol of 06/17/1925 effective from 05/09/1926, has sanctioned “the prohibition of making use, during the wars, of asphyxiating-toxic and simile and of bacteriological means”. Iran, Iraq and Turkey accepted this protocol, but they did not have any hesitation in using the forbidden chemicals against the revolt of Dersim in 1937 and in the last days in 1989 against the Kurd resistance in the area of mount “Cudi”. According to some news, Iraq too in 1979, in several occasions, used these arms against the Kurd movement.

The most sensational case is Iraq that has used the chemical arms on a large scale both against the resistance and against the civil Kurd population from 04/15/1987 to 08/02/1988, the Iraqi regime has intensively bombed the Kurd regions with chemical arms in 25 different occasions. Only in the city of Halajaba, that had more than 70.000 inhabitants, in March, 16 and 17 1988, the asphyxiating-toxic gas killed more than 5.000 people and caused 10.000 injured.

The Geneva protocol points out that “the use of asphyxiating, toxic gas or simile, as well as of liquid materials and equivalent processes has been rightly condemned by the general public opinion of the civil world”. The Iraqi government, not only according to Kurd source, in several occasions has used bacteriological arms too. Even after the ceasefire between Iran and Iraq, the last one has kept on using them.

In August 1988, during the peace negotiations between these two countries, Iraq launched a large offensive with chemical arms against the areas controlled by the Kurd resistance. Dozen of thousand of civilians were killed , hundred thousand escaped in Iran and in Turkey. The number of victims is uncertain, but as a Board of Inquiry of the U.S.A. Senate has declared, during the attacks in August-September 1988, victims “could have been hundred thousand”. During the last years, the prohibition to use these arms has been confirmed many times with dozen of resolutions from the General Assemble and the Security Council of United Nations, with the favourable vote from the states that control Kurdistan, too.

Meanwhile, the General Assemble of the United Nations that often takes up position on every situation, has not yet reproached Iraq for not ceasing the use of chemical arms against the civil population in Kurdistan. Only few west countries in September 1988 have asked the General Secretary of O.N.U. to take “ a personal initiative” about the problem. The General Secretary has appointed a commission of inquiry to send to Iraq. The last one has refused to receive this commission under the pretext of “ an intrusion on the home affairs”. Afterwards, the commission of inquiry could not carry out its own duty and have not got any result.