Remains of 800 bodies unearthed in Iraq mass grave

A mass grave holding the remains of over 800 bodies, many believed to be opponents of ousted leader Saddam Hussein, has been discovered in western Iraq, a Human Rights Ministry spokesman said on Thursday. Kamil Ameen said the grave, found in the desert of western Anbar province, Iraq's Sunni heartland, included remains of Kurds, Shias, women and children and was one of the bigger mass graves unearthed in recent years.
"The grave consists (of people) from different sects. Initial reports indicated they were political opponents," Ameen told Reuters. "The number (of bodies) so far is 822 but it could increase. Our technicians expect the number to reach 900." Victims are often believed to be Kurds, against whom Saddam waged military campaigns in the 1980s and '90s, and Shias who staged an uprising in 1991. Ameen said the mass grave was believed to be from the 1980s as a government newspaper published in 1988 and medicine with an expiry date of 1984 had been found buried beside the victims.