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Born April 28, 1937

Tikrit, Iraq

President of Iraq, 1979–2003

"Iraqis will not forget the saying that cutting necks is better than cutting means of living. Oh, God Almighty, be witness that we have warned them!"

Saddam Hussein as quoted in Understanding the Crisis in the Persian Gulf.

Saddam Hussein served as the president of Iraq from 1979 to 2003. During his twenty-four years in power, he gained a reputation as a brutal dictator who used intimidation and violence to eliminate all opposition to his rule. Hussein aspired to make Iraq the dominant nation in the Middle East. He built an impressive army and used it against neighboring countries as well as rebellious groups within Iraq.

When Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, Hussein set in motion a series of events that led to the 1991 Persian Gulf War. After months of diplomatic negotiations and...