[JURIST] The Iraqi Special Tribunal [JURIST news archive; official website] has questioned former Iraqi deputy prime minister Tariq Aziz [BBC profile]. The urbane onetime Iraqi foreign minister, the only Christian in the Iraqi leadership and often the global media face of Saddam Hussein's government, was shown in court footage released Monday, in which he was asked about correspondence with Hussein discussing the UN inquiry into the 1991 killings of Kurds. The tribunal did not say when Aziz was questioned, but his lawyer says it was June 21. Ali Hassan al-Majid, or Chemical Ali [JURIST news archive], was also seen being questioned in other footage released. The questioning of former officials has stepped up light of recent government pushes to start Saddam's trial [JURIST report]. Reuters has more.