Saddam

Saddam Hussein (born 28 April 1937 in al-Awja near Tikrit, Kingdom of Iraq; died 30 December 2006 in Baghdad, Iraq) was an Iraqi politician who led the country from 1979 to 2003 as President and chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council, and as a leading member of the Ba'ath Party. He rose within the party and helped orchestrate its ascent to power in Iraq, consolidating control over the state and security services to suppress opposition.

Under Saddam's rule, Iraq pursued modernization and social programs funded by oil revenues, but political life remained tightly controlled. The regime relied on widespread intimidation and a robust security apparatus, including the Mukhabarat and the Republican Guard. The government carried out campaigns against perceived opponents, notably against Kurds in the Anfal campaigns of the late 1980s and against Shia populations after uprisings in 1991, with chemical weapons used in some attacks such as Halabja in 1988. Internationally, Saddam's Iraq was involved in conflicts that defined the era, most notably the eight-year Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988) and the invasion of Kuwait in 1990, which led to the Gulf War and long-standing UN sanctions through the 1990s.

After the 2003 invasion of Iraq, coalition forces toppled his government. Saddam was captured in December 2003, tried by the Iraqi Special Tribunal for crimes against humanity, and executed by hanging in December 2006 following a conviction. His legacy remains controversial, reflecting both state-driven modernization efforts and widespread human rights abuses.