U.S. charges Iraq with chemical weapons use

Abstract

The U.S. claims it has conclusive that Iraq has used chemical weapons to quell the Kurds' fight for autonomy. Although the Iraqi government has adamantly denied the charge, the Senate has passed a bill imposing stiff economic sanctions on Iraq, sanctions that are opposed by the Reagan Administration. Until a few days ago, the U.S. had refused to release details of its evidence against Iraq. It was known that the State Department had interviewed Kurds who had taken refuge in Turkey and who claimed to have been attacked by chemical weapons. Now Administration officials claim to have intercepted Iraqi military communications outlining Iraqi use of these weapons against the Kurds. Although some Kurdish refugees had burns and weeping wounds associated with some chemical agents, the Turkish government says medical personnel caring for the refugees could find no evidence to support claims of Iraqi use of chemical weapons. The International Red Cross and the UN ...