‘Butcher’ of Kurds Sent to Shiites in Iraq
NICOSIA, Cyprus — Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has dispatched his defense minister--known as “the butcher†for ordering poison gas attacks on Kurds--to southern Iraq, apparently to lead operations against Shiite rebels.
Ali Hassan Majid, Hussein’s cousin, has set up headquarters in the southern port of Basra and is touring the turbulent region seeking to rally Shiites behind the Baghdad regime.
The travelers, including well-informed Iraqis who spoke in Jordan and Cyprus on condition of anonymity, said Majid’s command includes special forces from the elite Republican Guard, a pillar of Hussein’s regime.
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