One of the biggest pieces of propaganda against Iraq is the supposed gassing of 5,000 Kurds by Iraq in 1988 in the town of Halabja. This event took place during the Iran / Iraq war though when both sides were using chemical weapons. After the Kurds were gassed an investigation into the incident took place by proffessers from the US army war college who concluded that the gassing was an accident by Iranian forces and not a deliberate act by Iraq.