Kurds accuse Saddam
The week's news at a glance.
Baghdad
Kurdish witnesses told of the horrors of poison gas attacks as Saddam Hussein’s second trial, this one for attempted genocide of Kurds, resumed this week. “At night, I heard the screaming of women and children,” said Ghafour Hassan Abdullah, describing a 1988 attack on his Kurdish village. From the witness stand, he sneered at the former Iraqi dictator, saying, “Congratulations, Saddam. You are in a cage.” Saddam was silent during the testimony, but he interrupted when a prosecution lawyer described Kurdish rebels as freedom fighters. “You are agents of Iran and Zionism!” he shouted. “We will crush your heads!” Iraqi forces killed some 180,000 Kurds, mostly civilians, during the crackdown in 1987 and 1988.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The backlash against ChatGPT's Studio Ghibli filter
The Explainer The studio's charming style has become part of a nebulous social media trend
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Why are student loan borrowers falling behind on payments?
Today's Big Question Delinquencies surge as the Trump administration upends the program
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Not there yet: The frustrations of the pocket AI
Feature Apple rushes to roll out its ‘Apple Intelligence’ features but fails to deliver on promises
By The Week US Published