Genocide charges against Saddam dropped

An Iraqi court on Monday dropped all charges against former dictator Saddam Husseinnine days after he was executed. The trial continues for six other men for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Saddam and the others had been on trial for the killing of 180,000 Iraqi Kurds during the 1980-88 Iraq-Iran war in a military operation code-named Operation Anfal.

Shortly after the court reconvened Monday, Chief Judge Mohammed Oreibi al-Khalifa said the court decided to stop all legal action against the former president, since "the death of defendant Saddam was confirmed."

The former Iraqi president was sentenced to death for killing 148 Shias in another court case. He was hanged on Dec. 30.

The six men still facing charges in the Anfalcaseinclude Saddam's cousin Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as "Chemical Ali" for his alleged use of chemical weapons against Iraqi Kurds. The other defendants are senior members of Saddam's former government, including his defence minister and head of military intelligence.

Saddam and one other man were also chargedwith genocide.

All the defendants pleaded innocent to all the charges.

As the trial reconvened, violence continued Monday, with nine people killed in an ambush near Baghdad's airport.

Gunmen attacked a bus full of workers travelling to the airport. Eleven others were injured in the attack, said medical officials at Yarmouk hospital.

The victims were mainly Shia Muslims from Baghdad's Sadr City neighbourhood, and were attacked before reaching the main checkpoint at the airport's entrance, the official said.