Saddam co-defendants deny gassing Kurdish rebels

Two former Iraqi commanders denied they gassed Kurds in northern Iraq 20 years ago, telling Saddam Hussein's genocide trial on Thursday that they used conventional weapons against Iranian troops and Kurdish rebels. Sultan al-Tai, who was minister of defense under Saddam, and Gen. Hussein Mohammed, a deputy director of army operations, were testifying against documents and videos presented by prosecutors this week. Some of the documents stated that Saddam's government had sanctioned the use of "special weapons" - mustard or nerve gas - against the Kurds in 1987-88. "I didn't use any special weapon against the Kurds," al-Tai shouted at the judges. He claimed some of the documents implicating him were "forged," but did not elaborate.