The Rise and Fall of the Iraqi Strongman
Saddam Hussein (1937 - 2006) was the President of Iraq for more than two decades (1979 - 2003). A towering yet controversial figure in Middle Eastern history, his rule was defined by modernization and economic development on one hand, and brutal political purges, costly wars, and international sanctions on the other.
Saddam was born into a poor peasant family in Al-Awja. He never knew his father and was primarily raised by his uncle, Khairallah Talfah, a nationalist who deeply influenced his political views. In 1957, at the age of 20, Saddam joined the Ba'ath Party, which promoted Arab nationalism and socialism.
After a failed assassination attempt on Iraqi Prime Minister Abd al-Karim Qasim in 1959, Saddam fled to Egypt. He returned after the 1963 coup and played a pivotal role in the 1968 revolution that brought the Ba'athists to power. He served as Vice President under Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr for 11 years, during which he nationalized Iraq's oil industry in 1972, leading to an economic boom.
On July 16, 1979, Saddam forced President al-Bakr to resign and took full control of the nation. He immediately launched a massive purge of his own party to eliminate rivals. His regime established a "personality cult," with his portraits appearing in every corner of Iraq.
His presidency was dominated by two major conflicts:
In March 2003, the United States and its allies invaded Iraq, claiming the regime possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). Saddam fled Baghdad but was eventually captured by US troops in December 2003, hiding in a small underground hole.
He was tried by an Iraqi tribunal for crimes against humanity. On November 5, 2006, he was found guilty of the 1982 massacre of 148 Shiites in Dujail and sentenced to death. Saddam Hussein was executed by hanging on December 30, 2006.