▁the ▁regime ▁between ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 1 . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁information ▁below ▁is ▁taken ▁from ▁Fact ▁She et ▁- ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Dem ocracy , ▁Human ▁Rights ▁and ▁Labor ▁and ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Public ▁Affairs ▁ ▁Mass ▁gra ves ▁in ▁Ira q ▁are ▁character ized ▁as ▁un mark ed ▁sites ▁containing ▁at ▁least ▁six ▁bodies . ▁Some ▁can ▁be ▁identified ▁by ▁m ounds ▁of ▁earth ▁p iled ▁above ▁the ▁ground ▁or ▁as ▁deep ▁p its ▁that ▁appear ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁filled . ▁Some ▁older ▁gra ves ▁are ▁more ▁difficult ▁to ▁identify , ▁having ▁been ▁covered ▁by ▁veget ation ▁and ▁de br is ▁over ▁time . ▁S ites ▁have ▁been ▁discovered ▁in ▁all ▁regions ▁of ▁the ▁country ▁and ▁contain ▁members ▁of ▁every ▁major ▁religious ▁and ▁eth nic ▁group ▁in ▁Ira q ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁foreign ▁national s , ▁including ▁K uw ait is ▁and ▁Sa ud is . ▁Over ▁ 2 5 0 ▁sites ▁have ▁been ▁reported , ▁of ▁which ▁approximately ▁ 4 0 ▁have ▁been ▁confirmed ▁to ▁date . ▁Over ▁one ▁million ▁Ira q is ▁are ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁missing ▁in ▁Ira q ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁execution s , ▁wars ▁and ▁defe ctions , ▁of ▁whom ▁hundreds ▁of ▁thousands ▁are ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁in ▁mass ▁gra ves . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁gra ves ▁discovered ▁to ▁date ▁correspond ▁to ▁one ▁of ▁five ▁major ▁at roc ities ▁perpet r ated ▁by ▁the ▁regime . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Kur dist an ▁Regional ▁Government ▁in ▁Ira q