Saturday 16 March 2013

25th anniversary of the Halabja Massacre in Iraq


Today marks the 25th anniversary of the Halabja Massacre on March 16, 1988 in which more than 5 thousand people lost their lives. On March 16 the massacre is remembered every year.

Thousands of civilians were killed in the chemical bombing attack organized on Halabja by the Iraqi army.

The victims of the Halabja Massacre are remembered every year through various activities in cities in northern Iraq with a Kurdish population.

The rope with which Ali Hasan al-Majid , Saddam Hussein's cousin who ordered the ordered the bombing of Halabja and was nicknamed “Chemical Ali,” was executed by hanging was brought to the Memorial Museum in Halapja.

In memory of the massacre’s anniversary, life stopped for five minutes in the Iraqi Kurdistan capital of Erbil at 11:36, the hour at which the first bomb was dropped. As citizens stopped in place out of respect when the sirens were heard, vehicles also stopped in traffic.

The Martyr Minister of the northern Iraq region, Aram Ahmet, explained to the press that the rope used to execute “Chemical Ali” was delivered to the director of Halabja Memorial, Ala Talabani, this morning.

The massacre

It has been 25 years since the massacre that took place in the Kurdish town of Halabja in Iraqi Kurdistan during the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, who headed Iraq's Baathists. On March 16, 1988, Halabja became the scene of the largest-scale chemical attack on a civilian population in history. That morning, Iraqi warplanes flew over the city and dropped chemical bombs on the thousands of unsuspecting people living there. Nearly 5,000 people died immediately as a result of the chemical attack, and it has been estimated that a further 7,000 were injured or suffered long-term illnesses.

It seems to have occurred too far in the distant past to be remembered by those who are unfamiliar with this region, remaining a mere fact in a history book; however, it remains an ongoing pain for the people of the region.

Every person in Halabja has a sad story to tell and has lost at least one friend or relative. Most Halabjans say they experienced the apocalypse on March 16, 1988, when every soul struggled for his or her life. Children ran for shelter; some tried to flee the town only to die half way; mothers carried their children in their arms; fathers rushed towards safety -- but there was no safe haven. Those who managed to escape suffered burnt skin, skin malformations or were diagnosed with cancer. Pictures taken right after the massacre depict the chaos and support the apocalypse simile.

As one Kurdish intellect, Kendal Nezan, described Halabja: “The scene that greeted the Halabjans in the morning defied description. The streets were strewn with corpses. People had been killed instantly by chemicals in the midst of everyday acts of life. Babies still sucked their mothers' breasts. Children held their parents' hands -- frozen to the spot like a still from a motion picture. In the space of a few hours 5,000 people died. The 3,200 who no longer had families were buried in a mass grave.” The victims of the massacre do not want to forget their pain nor do they want their wounds to be scabbed over. They have the same mentality as the Khojaly victims, believing that they should continue to talk about their tragedy and keep their memories alive. For this very reason, the Halabjan people mention the massacre and their losses whenever they have gathered together to deal with the pain.

Years later, every one suffers from the poisonous gas. Some have a chronic cough; some have diseases of the lungs or stomach or eyes. Many survivors have cancer, and many more are disabled.

There are three martyrs' cemeteries in Halabja: In one of them, there are 1,500 bodies, 440 bodies are buried in the second one, and the third one has 24 bodies buried one on top of the other. And the rest of the bodies are, sadly, still missing. These cemeteries, which were arranged by the survivors of the massacre, have been turned into mausoleums frequently visited by the local people as well as the relatives of the victims. At the entrance of the cemeteries, it is written “Baath Party members cannot enter!”

Saturday 16 March 2013

http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=104843

continue reading

5 dead, 7 missing in Madagascar boat sinking


At least five people are dead and seven remain missing after a passenger boat sank in western Madagascar earlier this week, police said on Saturday.

“We have recovered five bodies so far and identified seven missing among villagers living along the Betsiboka river,” said Ambato Boeni district police commander Lieutenant-Colonel Ramaroson.

No details were given about the cause of the accident.

Official logs show that the “Naina R3” was transporting 30 people to a local market, but the real number was likely to be around 50, Ramaroson said.

Police on Friday put the number of missing at at least 28.

Local media on Saturday said 26 people had survived the accident while around 30 were still unaccounted for.

Saturday 16 March 2013

http://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/5-dead-7-missing-in-boat-sinking-1.1487539#.UURkuUfVWCA

continue reading

Mexico fireworks explosion during religious parade kills at least 11, dozens injured


At least 11 people died and some 70 others were injured Friday when a truck loaded with fireworks exploded during a religious parade in a village near the capital, authorities said.

The blast occurred when a malfunctioned firework landed on the truck in the middle of a march for the Jesus Tepactepec village's patron saint, the civil protection department of Tlaxcala state said.

"We saw bodies flying, then everything went black," said an eyewitness named Isidro Garcia Vazquez.

Survivor Miguel Angel Piscin described the scenes of chaos following the explosion:

“There were lots of bodies lying on the ground, torn apart, no one was helping. I quickly got in my truck, put it in reverse and they pulled up 10 injured people.”

Authorities sent helicopters, ambulance vehilces and soldiers to the scene, about 110 km east of Mexico City, while Tlaxcala Governor Mariano Gonzalez Zarur declared three days of mourning.

Fireworks are commonly used in Mexican holidays and religious celebrations, but mishandling or lack of safety measures often lead to deadly accidents.

Authorities say the death toll could rise as many people were out on the street in preparation for the religious festival.

Saturday 16 March 2013

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-03/16/c_132238356.htm

continue reading