The Iraqi presidential Council has approved on Friday the execution of Ali Hassan al-Majid, one of Saddam Hussein's aides, a PUK website said.

"The Presidential Council has approved the execution of Ali Hassan al-Majid, also known as "Chemical Ali". A special source told the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in its Website.

The source said that the death sentence would be carried out within the next 30 days.

On September 4, 2007, a court judge said that an Iraqi appeals court upheld the death sentences to "Chemical Ali" and two other Saddam's aides over charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.

Majid is the only individual besides Saddam to be charged with genocide over the so-called Anfal campaign against the Kurds in the late 1980s. Saddam, ousted from power by US-led invasion forces in April 2003, was executed on December 30, 2006 for crimes against humanity in a separate case.

(Xinhua News Agency February 29, 2008)