Iraq's former leader Saddam Hussein faces new charges of genocide and crimes against humanity in the 1980s crackdown against the Kurds, including the infamous gassing of thousands of civilians in the village of Halabja.
The Iraq tribunal Tuesday said it has completed investigations of the so-called Anfal campaign and charged Saddam and six others, including Saddam's cousin Ali Hassan Majid, also known as "Chemical Ali" for crimes against Kurds.
Human rights groups say the Anfal campaign left around 180,000 people dead. The new trial could start as early as next month.
Saddam's current trial for the 1982 killing of 148 Shi'ites is scheduled to resume Wednesday. Also today, Iraqi police say bomb blasts in Baghdad and Samarra killed least nine people and wounding 30 others.
Monday evening a truck bomb blast killed 10 people outside a Shi'ite mosque.
Information for this report is provided by AP and AFP.
