§ Bob SpinkTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the US and international community that(a) Saddam Hussein and (b) Ali Hassan Al-Majid be charged under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, Article II in respect of the massacre of Kurds at Halabja and through the Anfal campaign. [162190]
§ Mr. RammellOn 10 December 2003, the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) established the Iraqi Special Tribunal to try major crimes committed under the former Ba'athist regime. The Transitional Administrative Law signed on 8 March 2004 confirms the establishment of the Tribunal.
1039WArticle 10 of the Statute of the Tribunal gives it jurisdiction over the crime of genocide which is defined (in Article 11) in accordance with the Genocide Convention. Although it is for the Iraqis to decide what charges will be brought against Saddam Hussein and Ali Hassan Al-Majid we expect that the charges would involve incidents such as the 1988 attack on Halabja and the Anfal campaign.
§ Bob SpinkTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the international community regarding(a) the integrity of Iraq's borders and (b) the need to ensure Kurdish security in respect of Turkey and Iran; and if he will make a statement. [162192]
§ Mr. RammellWe are committed to maintaining the territorial integrity of Iraq, as re-affirmed in UN Security Council Resolution 1511. We have been in regular contact with Iraq's neighbours to urge them to take steps to ensure better security on their borders with Iraq. We have been working hard to improve border security through increased personnel, new technology and tighter procedures. There are currently 8,000 Iraqi border police in place and the Coalition is aiming to double this number. In the north the US military have taken on this role in the Kurdistan Regional Government administered areas.