Barzani condemned the "brutality of the former Iraqi regime and the silence of the international community" during the 1988 chemical attack on Halabja.  He highlighted the attack's devastating impact on the Kurdish people, stating its aim was "genocide against the Kurdish nation and to erase their identity."

Despite the passage of 21 years since Saddam Hussein's regime fell, PM Barzani lamented the lack of compensation for the victims' families and the absence of governance reforms in Halabja.

Barzani stressed the Kurdistan Regional Government's responsibility towards the people of Halabja and the importance of remembering these crimes.  He urged the Iraqi government to acknowledge the "monstrosity of the crimes committed" and fulfill its obligation to compensate the Kurdish people.

Earlier, on Feb. 22, Prime Minister Barzani laid the foundation stone for the Halabja-Tuwaqut-Qalija road and the Tuwaqut bridge during a ceremony in Halabja. In his remarks, he hailed Halabja as the "city of martyrs" and addressed key regional issues. (ILKHA)