The Iraqi parliament has approved a plan to pay $400 million in reparations to Americans who say they were abused by executed dictator Saddam Hussein during the 1990-91 Gulf War.
The parliament approved the payments on Saturday even as lawmakers loyal to the anti-American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr rejected the settlement and walked out before the vote.
in August 1990, Saddam's forces invaded neighboring Kuwait, but the assault was quickly met with an international military response that pushed the Iraqis out of the emirate. Hundreds of U.S. citizens were held by Saddam's regime and used as human shields to deter coalition attacks on Iraq. Some of the hostages claimed they were mistreated and tortured by Saddam's forces and sued the Iraqi government for reparations.
Washington and Baghdad had earlier reached agreement on the damages last September as a way to end court disputes over the claims. But the Iraqi parliament still needed to ratify the pact.
U.S.-led forces overthrew Saddam in 2003. He eventually was captured later that year and executed in 2006 for the 1982 killing of Iraqi Shi'ites.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, and AFP.
