Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

Revue de Presse-Press R evzew . -Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-Basm Özeti
By Christine Goeden
IVERPOOL - On March
L16 1988, an Iraqi military
strike 'subjected Halabja, .a
Kurdish town of 45,000 m
northern Iraq, to bombardment
wid!' the greatest attack of
chemical weapons ever. used
against a civilian populatipn.
The chemical agents used
were a "cocktail" of mustard
gas (which affects skin, eyes
and the membranes of the nose, I
throat and lungs), and the nerve
agents sarin, tabun and VX.
The chemicals drenched the
people's skin and clothes, affected
their respiratory tracts
and eyes and contaminated their
water and food.
Many people simplr fell
dead where they were, tmme-
.diate casualties of the. attack.
Estilnates put these deaths at
about 5,000. .
A few were given brief and
immediate treatment, which involved
taking them to the
-United SÜltes, Europe or Iran.
The majority of thêm returned
to Halabja. .
Since then, no mecltcal team,
either from Iraq, Europe or
America, or from' any internationàI
agency, has monitored
either the ,bon.., or the longterm
CODSCIIp1ences of this
chemical attack ..
Gwynne Roberts, a fi!m .ditector,
made thea'Ward-WlDJl1l1~
film "TIte Winds of Deatl:l'
about the. attack in 1988.11saw
this film, and it had a tremendous
effect on me.
, Gwvnne . fevisited Halabia
fast year, and was conc