Prosecutors in the Netherlands have formally charged a Dutch businessman with complicity in genocide for selling chemicals to Iraq's former regime.
Frans van Anraat, 62, is accused of selling US and Japanese chemicals which were used to produce poison gas.
The gases are said to have been used to kill more than 5,000 in a 1988 attack on the Kurdish Iraqi town of Halabja.
Mr van Anraat earlier admitted selling chemicals but told Dutch TV he had not known what they would be used for.
The full trial of the businessman - the first Dutch national to be prosecuted for genocide - is not due to begin for several months.
Evidence being used by prosecutors includes information obtained from the former head of Iraq's chemical weapons programme, Ali Hassan al-Majid, otherwise known as Chemical Ali.
He has been charged in Iraq of masterminding the mustard gas attack on Halabja for which Saddam Hussein also faces charges.
Full Story @ BBC NEWS
How the American Press has missed this HUGE Story is amazing. If we'd quit spending so much freakin' time on Celebrity asshats and their crap we would be more aware of the important things happening in our world.
Posted by Muddy at March 18, 2005 12:16 PM | TrackBackwhats your problem man? dont you know steroids and michael jackson are the most pressing issues in america? how can you deny michael jackson wearing pajamas is not vital information that needs to be the Headline of the 6 o'clock news.
this may also be burried because of americas involvement. why on earth would any patriotic news person bring up the fact that America helped supply with WMDs and didnt have a problem when he used them on his "own people."
Actually, we did have a problem with him using them on his own people and it is what led us to disavow our involvement with him.
We supplied him because at the time we was fighting what we considered a greater evil.
BTW, I believe that the Michael Jackson case, while being covered WAY to much should be covered and I'll explain why later.
Posted by: skywalker at March 18, 2005 10:57 PM