Time to focus on future of the people of Halabja: UK ambassador
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - On the 35th anniversary of the chemical attack on Halabja, the British Ambassador to Iraq Mark Bryson-Richardson highlighted the need to focus on the future of Halabja, which is being elevated to full governorate status.
In retribution for Kurdish Peshmerga fighters backing Iran in its eight-year war with Iraq, around 5,000 Iraqi Kurds, the majority of them women and children, were killed by the Iraqi former regime in the largest ever chemical weapon attack on civilians.
Bryson-Richardson, who visited the city on the anniversary of the attack, spoke to Rudaw’s Peshawa Bakhtyar on Thursday.
“It is really important that we commemorate today the tragic event 35 years ago, and remind ourselves of the atrocities that were committed here so that we can ensure that we focus on the future for the people of Halabja but also ensure events like this never happen again - either here or anywhere else in the world,” he said.
Asked about helping survivors of the tragic event, the ambassador replied, “That’s why we are here. We are meeting the members of the community in Halabja to understand more about that and about the challenges that Halabja and the people of Halabja face.”
Overthrown in 2003, former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was hanged in 2006 for the massacre of over 100 Shiite Iraqis. His death ended proceedings against him for the ruthless killing of around 180,000 Kurds, including those killed in Halabja, during his regime’s genocidal Anfal campaign.
The Iraqi government this week revived a decade-old plan to elevate Halabja’s status to that of a province in recognition of its history.
Angry over lack of public services and what they called marginalisation of the city, many people in Halabja did not attend official memorial events on the attack anniversary.
In retribution for Kurdish Peshmerga fighters backing Iran in its eight-year war with Iraq, around 5,000 Iraqi Kurds, the majority of them women and children, were killed by the Iraqi former regime in the largest ever chemical weapon attack on civilians.
Bryson-Richardson, who visited the city on the anniversary of the attack, spoke to Rudaw’s Peshawa Bakhtyar on Thursday.
“It is really important that we commemorate today the tragic event 35 years ago, and remind ourselves of the atrocities that were committed here so that we can ensure that we focus on the future for the people of Halabja but also ensure events like this never happen again - either here or anywhere else in the world,” he said.
Asked about helping survivors of the tragic event, the ambassador replied, “That’s why we are here. We are meeting the members of the community in Halabja to understand more about that and about the challenges that Halabja and the people of Halabja face.”
Overthrown in 2003, former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was hanged in 2006 for the massacre of over 100 Shiite Iraqis. His death ended proceedings against him for the ruthless killing of around 180,000 Kurds, including those killed in Halabja, during his regime’s genocidal Anfal campaign.
The Iraqi government this week revived a decade-old plan to elevate Halabja’s status to that of a province in recognition of its history.
Angry over lack of public services and what they called marginalisation of the city, many people in Halabja did not attend official memorial events on the attack anniversary.