Human RightsIraq

Iraqi victims of Halabja chemical attack sue French firms

Halabja-Yahia-ahmed2A group of Kurdish victims of the 1988 chemical attack against the Iraqi city of Halabja are filing a lawsuit against two French companies for supplying chemical weapons to Iraq’s former dictator Saddam Hussein, Press TV reports.

The group has requested France to launch a formal investigation into the criminality of the companies.

The plaintiffs say the French companies were definitely aware of how Saddam was using their tons of chemical shipments.

“These companies working with Saddam Hussein to commit genocide against the Iraqi people must be held responsible and must pay for the terrible damage they caused against the innocent Kurds,” said Iraqi journalist Saif al-Khayat.

“There are 427 companies from around Europe that helped Saddam Hussein regime build his military arsenal. The victims of Halabja have 100,000 documents to prove it. It is amazing that many European leaders make grand speeches about human rights, but they also support their destructive arms industry,” he added.

Nearly 5,000 people, mostly women and children, immediately died a horrific death in the biggest poison gas attack in history.

Another 7,000 were injured, crippled, or suffered long-term health problems in the Halabja poison gas attack.

Since 1983, Saddam had illegally used chemical weapons against Iranians during the 1980-1988 Iraqi-imposed war, without facing any significant reaction from the international community.

France is the world’s fourth-largest arms exporter, and for decades, it has shipped weapons to dictators across the Middle East, West and North Africa and other parts of the world. Moreover, eight of the world’s top 12 arms exporters are European nations.

Twenty-five years later, the survivors are demanding justice and financial help with their myriad of health problems.

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