Saddam Hussein

Saddām Hussein ʻAbd al-Majīd al-Tikrīt, sometimes spelled Husayn or Hussain; (Arabic صدام حسين عبد المجيد التكريتي; born April 28, 1937 ) was President of Iraq from 1979 until his removal and capture during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

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A leading member of the revolutionary Ba'ath Party, which espoused secular pan-Arabism, economic modernization, and socialism, Saddam (see regarding names) played a key role in the 1968 coup that brought the party to long-term power. As vice president under his cousin, the frail General Ahmed Bakr, Saddam tightly controlled conflict between the government and the armed forces - at a time when many other groups were considered capable of overthrowing the government - by creating repressive security forces, and cementing his own firm authority over the apparatuses of government. High oil prices helped Iraq's economy to grow at a relatively rapid pace in the 1970s.

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As president, he developed a pervasive personality cult, ran an authoritarian government, and maintained power through the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988) and the first Persian Gulf War (1991), which were both devastating to Iraq, lowering living standards and human rights. Saddam's government repressed movements that it deemed threatening, particularly those from ethnic or religious groups that sought independence or autonomy.

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While he remained a popular hero among many disaffected Arabs for standing up to the West and for his staunch support for the Palestinians, the United States and other members of the international community continued to view Saddam with deep suspicion following the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Saddam was deposed by the U.S. and its allies during the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Captured by U.S. forces on December 13, 2003 while hiding in a hole in a barn outside Tikrit, he will stand trial before the Iraq Special Tribunal, established by the Iraq Interim Government.

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Arabic: redirect Arabic language...

1937: 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar)....

President of Iraq: The President of Iraq is Iraq's head of state and chief of government. Iraq became a republic after the overthrow of the monarchy in 1958....

Saddam Hussein related Images and Photos (experimental)

South Park Saddam Hussein and Satan Talking Bobble Heads	Hussein Pacha	House of Saddam (DVD)	The Dey of Algiers Hussein Ibn El Hussein Strikes the French Ambassador M. Deval
Dey Hussein Ibn El Hussein Leaving Algiers after the City Has Been Captured on 4th July 1830	Shi'Ite Muslims Commemorating the Martyrdom of Hussein