On 16 March 1988, the Kurdish town of Halabja was attacked with a mix of mustard gas and nerve agents during the Halabja massacre, killing between 3,200 and 5,000 people, and injuring 7,000 to 10,000 more, mostly civilians.Saddam's Chemical Weapons Campaign: Halabja, 16 March 1988 – Bureau of Public Affairs The attack occurred in conjunction with the Anfal campaign designed to reassert central control of the mostly Kurdish population of areas of northern Iraq and defeat the Kurdish peshmerga rebel forces. Following the incident, The U.S. State Department took the official position that Iran was partly to blame for the Halabja massacre. A study by the Defense Intelligence Agency held Iran responsible for the attack. This assessment was subsequently used by the Central Intelligence Agency for much of the early 1990s. Despite this, few observers today doubt that it was Iraq that executed the Halabja massacre.
on 16 march 1988 the kurdish town of halabja was attacked with a mix of mustard gas and nerve agents during the halabja massacre killing between 3200 and 5000 people and injuring 7000 to 10000 more mostly civilianssaddam's chemical weapons campaign halabja 16 march 1988 – bureau of public affairs the attack occurred in conjunction with the anfal campaign designed to reassert central control of the mostly kurdish population of areas of northern iraq and defeat the kurdish peshmerga rebel forces following the incident the us state department took the official position that iran was partly to blame for the halabja massacre a study by the defense intelligence agency held iran responsible for the attack this assessment was subsequently used by the central intelligence agency for much of the early 1990s despite this few observers today doubt that it was iraq that executed the halabja massacre