The tribunal established to investigate allegations of war crimes for members of Saddam Hussein's former regime has stated it will begin prosecuting individuals accused of launching a campaign against a Shi’ite uprising following the liberation of Kuwait in 1991. Following the defeat of Iraq in the first Gulf War, Shi’ites in southern Iraq and Kurds from the north seized control of 14 of the 18 Iraqi provinces. The U.S. established an autonomous region in the 3 northern Kurdish provinces, however, Iraqi troops under Saddam's command launched a campaign to quell the uprising, killing tens of thousands of Shi’ites.
