Dujail

Dujail is a small Shiite town in Iraq, north of Baghdad. It is situated 40 miles north of Iraq's capital, Baghdad, and has approximately 10,000 inhabitants.

Dujail is known for being the place where an unsuccessful assassination attempt was staged against then Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, on July 8, 1982. The town a stronghold of the Shiite Daawa party, a group strongly opposed to Saddam Hussein and his war with Iran. Saddam Hussein was visiting the town for a meeting. While driving through the village centre, his motorcade was attacked by a member of the Daawa party. The president was unharmed in the three hour firefight which ensued.

Saddam Hussein ordered his Secret Police forces to carry out a reprisal attack against the town. His orders were obeyed. Up to 160 of the town's inhabitants were killed in the attack or executed later. 1,500 people were also incarcerated and tortured, while other residents, many of them women and children, were sent to desert camps. Saddam's regime destroyed the town and then rebuilt it shortly after.

The Iraqi Special Tribunal prosecutor has informed the defence attorneys of eight accused, including Saddam Hussein, that the Al-Dujail trial for those reprisals begins on October 19, 2005.

References

• Ynetnews article titled Who knew about Dujail massacre?
• Guardian article titled Saddam Trial to Open with Village Massacre