THERE WERE no WMDs! A war based in lies and deception! Bush, Blair -and Aznar, don't forget Aznar- should be tried at the International Criminal Court because they're murderers!

Hoping to unearth crucial evidence that could help in convicting deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, investigators said nine trenches in a dry riverbed at the Hatra site in northern Iraq contained at least 300 bodies, and possibly thousands.

Those buried included children still clutching toys.

"It is my personal opinion that this is a killing field," said Greg Kehoe, a US lawyer appointed by the White House to work with the Iraqi Special Tribunal.

"Someone used this field on significant occasions over time to take bodies up there and to take people up there and execute them".

"I have been doing grave sites for a long time, but I have never seen anything like this, women and children executed for no apparent reason," Kehoe said. "It's a perfect place for execution".

Kurdish victims

The victims are believed to be minority Kurds killed during 1987-88. One trench contains only women and children, apparently killed by small arms. Another contains only men, apparently killed by automatic gunfire.

Some of the mothers died still holding their children. One young boy still held a ball in his tiny arms.

International organisations estimate more than 300,000 people died under Saddam's 24-year rule and Iraq's Human Rights ministry has identified 40 possible mass graves countrywide.

Authorities hope careful investigations of the site will provide enough evidence to convict Saddam and other senior members of his regime.

But, but, but... didn't we all agree that it was Bush, Blair and Aznar who deserved to be punished?? Wasn't Iraq a sovereign country led, yes, maybe with an iron fist, but no more than other tyrants?? Who are we to judge?? But, but, but... this news is not from Fox News, but from al-Jazeera??

Mummy, I don't understand!! I need a hug!!

UPDATE. The BBC has more, including a really infuriating thing:

Mr Kehoe investigated mass graves in the Balkans for five years but those burials mainly involved men of fighting age and the Iraqi finds were quite different, he said.

"I've been doing grave sites for a long time, but I've never seen anything like this, women and children executed for no apparent reason," he said.

Mr Kehoe said that work to uncover graves around Iraq, where about 300,000 people are thought to have been killed during Saddam Hussein's regime, was slow as experienced European investigators were not taking part.

The Europeans, he said, were staying away as the evidence might be used eventually to put Saddam Hussein to death.

Yeah, it's like we Europeans were worried when it was Saddam putting innocent people to death. Europe, more and more everyday, on the wrong side.