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Saddam Hussein
President of Iraq (1979-2003)
Dictator whose invasion of Kuwait triggered sanctions; exploited humanitarian crisis; executed after war crimes trial
Overview
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti ruled Iraq as president from 1979 until the U.S.-led invasion toppled his regime in April 2003. Born into a poor family near Tikrit, he rose through the Ba'ath Party through a combination of political cunning and ruthless violence. His eight-year war with Iran (1980-1988) killed an estimated one million people. During that war, he used chemical weapons against Iranian soldiers and against his own Kurdish population in the Anfal genocide (1986-1989), which killed an estimated 50,000-182,000 Kurds, including at least 5,000 in the single chemical attack on Halabja in March 1988. Throughout the Iran-Iraq War, the United States provided intelligence, weapons technology, and diplomatic support to Saddam's regime. His invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990, triggered UN Security Council Resolution 661 imposing comprehensive sanctions that devastated 24 million Iraqi civilians for 13 years. Saddam manipulated the sanctions to consolidate power, monopolizing food distribution, exploiting the Oil-for-Food Programme for $10.1 billion in illegal revenues, and channeling international sympathy to pressure for sanctions relief while his inner circle lived in palaces. He directed OFFP oil allocations to political allies in Russia, France, and China, all veto-holding Security Council members. He was captured by U.S. forces on December 13, 2003, tried by the Iraqi Special Tribunal for the 1982 Dujail massacre, convicted of crimes against humanity, and hanged on December 30, 2006.
Key Affiliations
Ba'ath Party
Member from 1957; party leader and chairman of Revolutionary Command Council
organization
Government of Iraq
President (1979-2003); de facto ruler from mid-1970s
agency
Iraqi Armed Forces
Commander-in-Chief; held self-appointed rank of Field Marshal
agency
Mukhabarat (Iraqi Intelligence)
Controlled directly; used for internal repression and assassination of dissidents abroad
agency
Republican Guard
Elite military force loyal to regime; used for internal repression and defense of Baghdad
agency
Controversies & Concerns
ANFAL GENOCIDE (1986-1989): Oversaw systematic campaign to exterminate Kurdish population in northern Iraq using chemical weapons, forced relocations, and mass executions. An estimated 50,000-182,000 Kurds were killed. Attack on Halabja (March 16, 1988) killed at least 5,000 with mustard gas and nerve agents.
IRAN-IRAQ WAR (1980-1988): Launched invasion of Iran in September 1980; eight-year war killed an estimated one million people. Used chemical weapons extensively against Iranian troops, the first large-scale use of nerve agents in warfare. Received U.S. intelligence, weapons technology, and diplomatic cover throughout.
INVASION OF KUWAIT (1990): Invaded and annexed Kuwait on August 2, 1990, triggering the Gulf War and 13 years of UN sanctions. Iraqi forces committed widespread atrocities during occupation including murder, torture, and looting.
SANCTIONS EXPLOITATION: Manipulated the Oil-for-Food Programme to extract $10.1 billion in illegal revenues through oil smuggling ($5.7B) and kickbacks ($4.4B). Directed oil allocations to political allies in Russia, France, and China, all Security Council veto holders. Used civilian suffering as leverage while his regime lived in opulence.
SHI'ITE UPRISING SUPPRESSION (1991): After Gulf War, crushed Shi'ite uprising in southern Iraq with extreme brutality, killing an estimated 25,000-100,000 people. Mass graves discovered after 2003 invasion.
MARSH ARAB PERSECUTION: Drained the Mesopotamian Marshes in southern Iraq to punish Marsh Arabs who had supported the 1991 uprising, destroying a 5,000-year-old civilization and ecosystem.
DUJAIL MASSACRE (1982): Ordered execution of 148 Shi'ite men and boys from the town of Dujail after a failed assassination attempt. Women and children were imprisoned for years. This was the specific crime for which he was convicted and executed.
BRIBING UN OFFICIALS: Regime bribed Oil-for-Food Programme director Benon Sevan with $147,000+ in exchange for favorable oil allocations; entire OFFP corruption scheme was orchestrated to benefit regime and its allies.
Related Investigations (1)
Criminal Charges & Violations
2 documented violations
Crimes Against Humanity (Iraqi Special Tribunal)Convicted for the 1982 Dujail massacre, execution of 148 Shi'ite civilians after assassination attempt(War Crimes)
Genocide charges (Iraqi Special Tribunal)Charged with genocide against Kurds in Anfal campaign; trial ongoing at time of execution(Genocide)
Known Associates & Connections
Tariq Aziz
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister; public face of Iraqi diplomacy during sanctions era; convicted of crimes against humanity in 2010
Ali Hassan al-Majid
"Chemical Ali", cousin who oversaw Anfal genocide and chemical attacks on Kurds; executed 2010
Qusay Hussein
Son; head of Republican Guard and Special Security Organization; killed by U.S. forces July 22, 2003
Uday Hussein
Son; controlled Iraqi media and Olympic committee; known for extreme personal violence; killed with Qusay 2003
Donald Rumsfeld
Reagan envoy who met Saddam in December 1983 to restore U.S.-Iraq relations during Iran-Iraq War; later oversaw 2003 invasion
Sources & Documentation
4 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports
Human Rights Watch, "Genocide in Iraq: The Anfal Campaign Against the Kurds" (1993)(1993)
Volcker Commission Final Report on Oil-for-Food Programme (2005)(2005)
Iraqi Special Tribunal verdict in Dujail case(2006)
National Security Archive, "Shaking Hands with Saddam Hussein" (Rumsfeld 1983 meeting)(2003)
Personal Information
- Born
- April 28, 1937
- Birthplace
- Al-Awja, near Tikrit, Iraq
- Also Known As
- The Butcher of Baghdad, Abu Ali
Education
- •Cairo University Law School (attended 1962-1963, did not graduate)
- •Baghdad University Law School (degree conferred 1968 after Ba'ath seized power)
Key Timeline
April 28, 1937
Born in Al-Awja village near Tikrit into a poor Sunni Arab family
1957
Joins Ba'ath Party at age 20; begins political career
October 7, 1959
Participates in failed assassination attempt against Prime Minister Abd al-Karim Qasim; wounded and flees to Egypt
July 17, 1968
Ba'ath Party seizes power in bloodless coup; Saddam becomes deputy to President Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr and de facto strongman
July 16, 1979
Forces al-Bakr to resign; becomes President of Iraq. Immediately purges party rivals in televised ceremony where he reads names of "traitors"
September 22, 1980
Launches invasion of Iran, beginning eight-year war that kills approximately one million people
July 8, 1982
Survives assassination attempt in Dujail; orders arrest and execution of 148 Shi'ite men and boys in retaliation
December 20, 1983
Receives Donald Rumsfeld as Reagan administration envoy; U.S.-Iraq relations restored despite knowledge of Iraqi chemical weapons use
March 16, 1988
Chemical weapons attack on Kurdish city of Halabja kills at least 5,000 civilians with mustard gas and nerve agents
1986-1989
Anfal campaign against Iraqi Kurds: 50,000-182,000 killed through chemical attacks, mass executions, and forced displacement
August 2, 1990
Invades and annexes Kuwait; triggers international condemnation and UN Security Council Resolution 661 imposing comprehensive sanctions
February 28, 1991
Gulf War ceasefire; Iraq defeated but Saddam remains in power. Crushes Shi'ite and Kurdish uprisings with extreme violence
1991-2003
Sanctions exploitation era: regime extracts $10.1 billion through Oil-for-Food corruption while civilian population suffers mass deprivation
March 20, 2003
U.S.-led invasion begins; regime collapses within weeks
December 13, 2003
Captured by U.S. forces hiding in underground hole ("spider hole") near ad-Dawr village
October 19, 2005
Trial begins before Iraqi Special Tribunal for the 1982 Dujail massacre
November 5, 2006
Convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death by hanging
December 30, 2006
Executed by hanging at Camp Justice, a joint Iraqi-American base in Baghdad