Ali Hassan al-Majid, also known as "Chemical Ali," was back in the dock with five other defendants on charges of allegedly killing 182,000 Kurds in 1988 in the so-called Anfal campaign.

Majid, looking healthy and carrying a copy of the Koran, again occupied the seat previously used by Saddam, who was chief accused until his execution on December 30 after being convicted for crimes against humanity in an earlier trial.

The prosecutor, who was not identified, presented a series of letters and telegrams he said were written by senior ministry officials of the former regime.

In one telegram, military intelligence officials in Sulaimaniyah, a Kurdish city in northern Iraq, told the eastern military command: "We would like to point out that a group of journalists visited the sites of chemical strikes. More such journalists are expected."

The prosecutor emphasised the words "chemical strikes."

Majid earned his sinister nickname for allegedly ordering that chemical weapons be used against Kurdish villagers during the Anfal campaign.

The prosecutor, reading from the documents, also claimed dozens of villages had been destroyed on orders of Majid.

"We have taken necessary steps to demolish villages as ordered by Ali Hassan al-Majid," read a telegram sent from a northern military intelligence official to the defence ministry.

It added: "Please confirm more villages to be demolished."

The prosecutor also submitted a letter from the eastern command signed by a brigadier general which said: "We have demolished all villages by tanks."

Another eastern command document, labelled "top secret" and addressed to military intelligence, said: "Attached please find names of 14 villages that were demolished." The first name on the list was a village called Madan and the last name was Shiron Mizza.

Another document listed 21 villages demolished while yet another spoke of "that village which was referred to has been demolished by chemical weapons."

Among the documents was one which detailed how people were relocated from their villages.

"Children who were even less than nine years old were separated from their parents," the prosecutor said. "How can these people say they followed Iraqi laws? Nobody separates children from their parents."

Majid in response acknowledged he had given orders for the destruction of villages and the relocation of people.

"I am the one who gave orders to the army to demolish villages and relocate the villagers. The army was responsible to carry out those orders. I gave the army instructions," said Ali.

But he denied knowledge of detention centres which Kurdish witnesses have testified were used to detain them and where torture and summary executions were carried out.

"Believe me. I did not know these camps till I came here in this court. I swear by Allah... I did not know of any detention facility," he said.

"If I had know about such camps I would not hide it. I am concerned about Iraqis. God is a witness. I do not like to say this but I am known as a good man."

Referring to the various orders given during the Anfal campaign, he added, "I am not defending myself. I am not apologising. I did not make a mistake."

Majid faces charges of genocide while the others are being tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

They are accused of methodically gassing and bombing thousands of Kurdish villages in the northern Kurdistan region of Iraq.