▁of ▁Ira q ' s ▁march es ▁were ▁d ried ▁up ▁causing ▁dev ast ating ▁effect ▁on ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁people ▁and ▁the ▁environment . ▁Then , ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁thousands ▁more ▁were ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁arrested , ▁imprison ed ▁and ▁in ▁some ▁cases ▁executed ▁after ▁a ▁second ▁u pr ising ▁broke ▁out ▁after ▁the ▁killing ▁of ▁a ▁prominent ▁Sh i ite ▁cler ic . ▁▁ ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁Am n esty ▁International ▁reported ▁finding ▁a ▁grave ▁containing ▁ 4 0 ▁bodies ▁at ▁Ab ul ▁K has ib ▁in ▁southern ▁Ira q , ▁which ▁is ▁almost ▁exclus ively ▁Sh ia , ▁thought ▁to ▁contain ▁bodies ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁Sh ia ▁u pr ising . ▁A ▁mass acre ▁of ▁Kur ds ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁which ▁target ed ▁civ ili ans ▁and ▁soldiers ▁who ▁fought ▁for ▁aut onomy ▁in ▁northern ▁Ira q ▁after ▁the ▁G ulf ▁war , ▁also ▁resulted ▁in ▁mass ▁gra ves .</ blockquote > ▁ ▁" PM ▁adm its ▁gra ves ▁claim ▁' un true ' ▁Down ing ▁Street ▁has ▁admitted ▁to ▁The ▁Ob server ▁that ▁repeated ▁claims ▁by ▁Tony ▁Bla ir ▁that ▁' 4 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁bodies ▁had ▁been ▁found ▁in ▁Ira qi ▁mass ▁gra ves ' ▁is ▁un true , ▁and ▁only ▁about ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁corps es ▁have ▁so ▁far ▁been ▁un cover ed . ▁The ▁claims ▁by ▁Bla ir ▁in ▁November ▁and