Mass Kurdish graves found in northern Iraq

KIRKUK, Iraq, Sep 5 (Reuters) The remains of 80 people, believed to be Kurdish victims of Saddam Hussein's regime, were unearthed in two mass graves near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk today, a Kurdish security official said.

Tens of thousands of Kurds were killed in a military campaign in 1988 codenamed Anfal -- Spoils of War -- for which Saddam, his cousin Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as Chemical Ali, and five other former commanders are now on trial in Baghdad.

The deputy head of intelligence for Kirkuk, Salah Khaled, said the bodies were believed to date from Anfal, when the military razed villages, launched poison gas attacks and rounded up men, women and children before shooting them in mass graves in northern and southern Iraq.

''The remains of 18 bodies, mostly women and children, have been found in one of the graves. From their dress, they seem to be people who went missing during the Anfal campaign,'' he said.

The local police commander, Brigadier Sarhad Kader, denied reports that the 18 appeared to have been buried alive.

A total of 80 bodies were unearthed from two graves in Towb Zawa, 15 km (9 miles) southwest of Kirkuk, he said.

Reuters Television footage showed men collecting bones, bits of clothing and prayer beads and putting them into plastic bags.

Saddam and his six co-accused face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, but he and his cousin face the additional, graver charge of genocide, which also carries the death penalty.

They are likely to argue that their crackdown on the villages along the Iranian border was justified because Kurdish rebels and their leaders had committed treason by forming alliances with arch-enemy Iran.

REUTERS PB BS1342